Parliamentary committee hails body for transforming SMEs
Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism has commended Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (Smedi) for its efforts to transform small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ideas into viable businesses.
The committee’s chairperson Simplex Banda made the remarks on Saturday at Smedi Development Centre in Mponela, Dowa when they toured Smedi Business Incubation Centre.
He said the committee appreciated Smedi’s initiatives that seek to transform small-scale businesses by providing training to people.
“Smedi is doing a commendable job that contributes to the development of the country by providing technical support to people,” said Banda.
In his remarks, Smedi chief executive officer Rodrick Chattaika thanked the committee, saying the tour will solve some of the problems highlighted.
“The incubation centre aims at turning non-performing businesses and cooperatives into viable enterprises; to graduate entrepreneurs who will contribute to local and national economic growth as well as add value to local resources such as tomatoes, cassava, mangoes, gemistones and waste,” he said.
Chattaika also said they produce graduates that are instrumental in job creation and commercialisation of new technologies.
About 24 incubates were trained in the first cohort in January 2019 and another training of 20 incubates started on November 18 and will run for four weeks.
Thirteen members of Parliament (MPs) took part in the tour.
