The government has recognized and paid due attention to the promotion and development of Micro and Small Enterprises for they are important vehicles to address the challenges of unemployment, economic growth and fair distribution of resource in the country.
To this end, it has been supporting the new and existed enterprises by different programs including creation of an enabling legal framework, and streamline regulatory conditions that may hinder the entrances of novices and expansion of the existing ones.
Zenebe Kuma General Director of Federal Urban Job Creation and Food Security Agency said that the government has been endeavoring to detach the public from backwardness and poverty through setting enabling policy and strategy. As a result, over the years, the country has enabled to create some jobs for its unemployed citizens and lower the level of poverty even though lots of works remain to be done.
As to him, with the goal set to create job opportunities for millions of citizens and reduce the burden of unemployment in urban areas, the Agency has created job opportunities for 1.4 million unemployed citizens, including in government institutions. Of which, while 34 percent of them are females, 2,411 are people with some type of disabilities and 7625 are returnees.
Likewise, the Agency has created job opportunities, for 34,201 university and 62,020 vocational and training education graduates.
In relation to activities carried out to boost the effectiveness of micro and small enterprises, the Agency has created market linkages for 109 thousand enterprises and generated 10 million Birr from created linkages.
“Though the Agency created job opportunities for millions of unemployed people it is not enough when we compare it with the number of unemployed people founds in the country,” he reiterated.
Aisha Mohammed, Urban
Development and Construction Minister on her part said that the issue of Micro and Small development ranked first among the priorities of socio-economic development, given the growing need for employment creation and poverty alleviation.
She noted that though the government has strived to generate jobs and the sector paved the way for developing new culture of entrepreneurship, the sector was not free from the challenge of rent seeking.
As to her those working places that are constructed by high public resource have not been administrated in accountable and responsible manner. And every citizens have a task to adjust this wrong doing action.
Teddy Garment Enterprise is one of the enterprise founds in Addis Ababa around Shero Meda. Tewodros Alebal, the owner and manager of the Enterprise on his part said that he started his business with the total startup capital of 30 thousand Birr and additional capital gained from the government.
He noted that government provided him working place and a credit. The support has enabled it to run his business, expand it and open a branch in other area. Currently, he has 20 sewing machines and has created a job opportunity for 23 people.
In his recent talk with members of the Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated his commitment to lower the rate of unemployment and announced plan to generate three million jobs by the coming year. As MSEs are one of the solutions to meet the growing needs for jobs, creating more favorable environment and supporting them in every possible way is crucial to realize the set goal.
The Ethiopian Herald July 10/2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
