Plateau committed to developing SMEs

The Plateau State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ephraim Usman, says Governor Caleb Mutfwang-led administration is poised to develop small-scale businesses through massive support.

Usman said this while delivering a keynote speech at an entrepreneurship and stakeholders meeting in Jos, the state capital, on Saturday

He said already, the state government had invested commitment covering appropriate profiling of businesses and community-based organisations with the view of developing a pool of reliable data from government intervention and other positive uses;

He also pointed out that the state government had committed investment in minimising business risks with firefighting equipment and expansion of markets and parking lots, introduction of smart tax system to reduce multiple taxes and make the process flexible and convenient for payment.

The commissioner said, “In Plateau State, the relevance of small and medium enterprises for the growth and development of our people especially from the community and/or rural areas is of utmost concern to the governor.

“It is thus the priority of the government to address poverty, unemployment and social vices amongst the population through constructive re-engineering of the state’s economy.

“Infrastructure that supports small and medium businesses are being fixed, conflicts that hitherto threatened businesses including agro-sector enterprises are being addressed, while major re-organisations in the transportation and entrepreneurship sectors are becoming part of key indicators in the policy direction of the government in addressing socio-economic challenges of the people in the state.

“The government is aware that there are under-represented and marginalised entrepreneurs across the 17 local governments. These are vulnerable groups such as women, minorities and individuals from low-income backgrounds who are involved in one small business to the other.

“But one of the questions that this engagement and discussions must address is: how can we establish alliances with community organisations and non-profits to support the under-represented and marginalised entrepreneurs on the Plateau?”

The commissioner added that “as a government, we are poised via the seven-point agenda of H.E., the governor to address the challenges associated with the business environment and focus towards improving ease of doing businesses on the Plateau.”

He also called on small business owners to form alliances and cooperatives to enable them to easily access government intervention.