The Association of Sido Dar es Salaam Industrial Estate Entrepreneurs (ASIDE) has asked the regional government to stake another area for them that would
house graduate entrepreneurs from the incubator programme run by the organisation.
This was said at the weekend by the association’s General Secretary Jamhuri Ojijo during a ceremony to bid farewell to Sido Dar es Salaam regional manager Hamuel Meena.
Ojijo said at the moment, the number of entrepreneurs who graduate under the incubator programme has been increasing yet the space to accommodate them is not enough.
“We are all situated in this area, we ask the government to build another industrial estate that would be used by the newly trained entrepreneurs,” he said.
He also requested the government to direct financial institutions to provide them with affordable interest loans with incentive local package.
Ojijo said in a move to market their products at local market, the association is planning to conduct trade exhibition every December.
“This would provide a chance for ordinary people to visit the exhibitions and entrepreneurs to sell their products hence improve livelihood,” he added.
For his part, the Vingunguti Ward Councilor Asaa Simba thanked the management of Sido for introducing various programmes aimed at supporting entrepreneurs.
He pledged to forward all their (SMEs) requests to the responsible government organs for further actions.
“I will try my level best to convince the Minister for industry and trade to visit your industrial estate and help you,” he stressed,
Speaking, the Sido outgoing regional manager urged entrepreneurs to make goods of higher quality and standards.
“You have to make sure that all your products are of high quality so that they can compete at local and international market,” he said.
It was reported by this paper that Sido was planning to review rent charges for its industrial estates countrywide in a move meant to make it more competitive.
The estates are home to most of the small and medium scale entrepreneurs under an incubator programme aimed at nurturing them to develop to large commercial business undertakings.
The organisation’s Director General, Omari Bakari, was quoted as saying that currently entrepreneurs who are under the incubator programme pay very little rent compared to the market prices.
The programme was meant to ensure that the renters stay for a while before shifting to other premises, but the practice has shown that most of them have not vacated due to the small amount of money they pay in form of rent, he said.
“We have seen that it is necessary to review the rent charges so as to enable other interested entrepreneurs to use our facilities for a short time before they grow,” he said.
He also said that Sido plans to strengthen the incubator programmes and launch more of these in other regions.
“Our aim is to have such programmes placated countrywide, since Tanzania has many upcoming entrepreneurs who need our services,” he said.
Presently, the incubator programme is available in Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Mwanza, Arusha, Rukwa, Kilimanjaro and Singida regions.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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