Cash grants between Rs 100 000 to Rs 200 000 were awarded to potential young entrepreneurs to start their own businesses after having completed a training course on entrepreneurship under the Programme for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship (PPEJ).
A ceremony was held this afternoon at the Côte D’Or National Sports Complex in the presence of the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint, the President of the Commission Nationale de Suivi et de Soutien (CNSS), Mr Jean Luc Rancier, and other personalities.
On this occasion, 14 beneficiaries of PPEJ 2020 also received an additional financial incentive to continue with their project.
In his address, Minister Toussaint recalled that his Ministry in collaboration with the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of French-speaking Countries (CONFEJES) and the PPEJ are providing assistance to help young people familiarise themselves with the preparation of a business plan and eventually start their own small business. In this context, he added that every year, projects are sent to CONFEJES for funding support.
He indicated that several youngsters both from Mauritius and Rodrigues submitted their business plans to the CONFEJES and that only the best business plans were selected by the CNSS. He congratulated the young people for their remarkable performances and brilliant business ideas adding that innovation is key to entrepreneurship.
The objective, the Minister said, is to promote economic empowerment of the youth and to equip them with requisite entrepreneurial skills. He further stressed that several awareness campaigns and entrepreneurship training programmes for potential young entrepreneurs are being organised in line with the Government’s vision to inculcate an entrepreneurship culture among the youth.
For his part, Mr Rancier stated that the NCSS provides an assistance to the youth and encourages the latter to launch themselves in entrepreneurial ventures. The programme, he added, promotes innovation and creation among young people and pushes them to come forward with unique business ideas.
Programme for the Promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship
The PPEJ (formerly FIJ) is a programme coordinated with the CONFEJES that aims to promote entrepreneurship and youth participation in the development of the nation. The training course is tailor-made to equip young people, aged between 18 to 35 years, with skills and knowledge so that they can start and sustain a small business enterprise.
