Businessman calls for more support for SMEs

By OLIVE SUKUN
A BUSINESSMAN is calling for more government support in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector due to the country’s current financial situation.
“As an SME operator, I’m calling on the Government and the Chamber of Commerce that the current financial situation in the country is affecting small business men and women,” Aku Holdings Ltd owner Komeali Ropa said last Thursday.
“The banks are putting too much pressure on us (SME businesses), how can we meet our loan obligations when the country is facing a financial crisis that is affecting us?,” he said.
“The Government must intervene.”
Aku Holdings’ general manager Keith Akane said: “The SME sector also faces a lot of challenges with meeting tax liabilities.
“We are continually receiving tax notices and the issue is, we would like to pay but we don’t have the money.”
Akane said their challenges were affecting not just the running of their business, but their staff as well.
“This is not only affecting us but the people as well,” he said.
“We recently had to lay off 45 staff members which is too much.
“It is critical that the SME sector is supported with good policy initiatives as SMEs contribute 6 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
Ropa suggested that the Government commercialise the National Development Bank because it would not only benefit the small and medium enterprise sector, but everyone else with low interest rates.
He also urged other banks to review their policies due to the country’s economic problems, adding that banks had a pivotal role in the SME sector.