SME funding set for association

THE Anglimp Lower Kuli Women Association from the Kulip Gap will receive K50,000 for small to medium enterprise (SME) training, SME Corporation director Patrick Ralda said last Friday. Forty-five women formed the association in Jiwaka’s South Anglimp and registered it with the Investment Promotion Authority a couple of months ago. Ralda said like-minded people who shared similar visions in their communities were forming SME associations in line with the Government’s focus to promote SME activities for which funding was available at Bank South Pacific and the National Development Bank. “Associations are vital to mobilising people to work together for a common goal that help them to embrace development changes and combat issues in their respective districts and local level government wards,” he said.“Through associations, they can benefit from their district development authorities, provincial and national governments and from donor funding.” However, Ralda cautioned the newly formed association that they would still face many challenges and men had to support their wives and sisters to encourage them to participate in business activities.