By Ovat Abeng
The Anambra Government says it has initiated low interest loans to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
The State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Christian Udechukwu, disclosed this while declaring open, a one-day Anambra Small Business Summit with the theme: “Enhancing the Growth of Small Business for Job and Wealth Creation, held at King David Hotel Awka over the weekend.
He said the initiative was in line with present administration of governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s vision of making Anambra prosperous homeland in Nigeria.
Udechukwu, who did not disclosed the interest rates, however, said the mandate of the ministry was to enhance businesses for jobs and wealth creation.
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According to him, in the ministry under my watch, we have funds that we have made available to micro, small, medium and large enterprises.
“For micro businesses, you can apply from zero to NN10 million. It is funded by the Anambra State government and the Bank of Industry,” he said.
He explained that to access more than N10 million loan the business owner had to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and also own assets.
The commissioner emphasized the need for small business owners in the state to register with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME).
He said the measure would enable them access the various low interest loans available in the state.
He noted that the government of governor Soludo was building structures that would promote the non-oil sector through small scale businesses and agriculture.
In her address, the State SMEDAN Coordinator, Mrs Chito Onuzuluike, said it was unfortunate that small business owners in the state do not take advantage of the opportunities abound in the agency to boost their operations.
Onuzuluike quarrel that the plan of SMEDAN to help small scale businesses in the state to develop was being hindered by lackadaisical attitude of business owners.
Also speaking, Mr Kingsley Ahamefula, the head of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), in the state said business registration was important in order to be recognised locally and internationally.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the National Association of Small Medium Enterprise (NASME), said the summit was first of its kind organised by the private sector to provide solutions to the challenges of doing business in Anambra State.
