TAWEN urges women to eliminate fear of doing business
AT least 500 women in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have attended a carrier-class to learn various business skills to market their products.
The one-day seminar organised by the Tanzania Women Empowerment Network (TAWEN) and TanTrade aimed at enabling the SMEs to learn more about quality products and also verifications as many of their goods fail to penetrate the markets.
The TAWEN’s Executive Director, Ms Florence Masunga, said the purpose of the Tuesday seminar was the first out of coming others countrywide to empower and encourage the women SMEs to make economic development by manufacturing marketable products and hence enable them to walk out of poverty.
“Since many SMEs are not flourishing in the markets, TAWEN decide to gather these entrepreneurs to add values through the seminar that will enable them to be able to take control of the total business,” said Ms Masunga.
The seminar main sponsor was Exim Bank, while facilitators came from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), and the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) and their contributions will enable the women to add more value to product manufacturing, verification processes, and also licensing and the total market control.
Temeke District Commissioner Ms Mwanahamisi Munkunda said that they would link the SMEs with the financial institution for loans.
“The training will enable entrepreneurs to well utilise and repay loans,”
The DC, also, challenged entrepreneurs in Temeke to form groups that will enable them to benefit from the various loans provided by the government, district council and various financial institutions.
Speaking about product verifications, the TBS’s Senior Food Inspector, Ms Edeltruds Simforian challenged SMEs to verify their products to enable them to sell products that have met the required standard of quality and be able to penetrate the market.
“I encourage you to verify your products since the service does not require any payment for at least three years,” said Ms Simforian.
She further added that through SIDO’s training programme to entrepreneurs, they will be able to learn about manufacturing processes that will enable them to produce products with competence in markets.
The President of the Voice of Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania(VOWET), Ms Maida Waziri, said through the seminar many of the SMEs will be taking steps towards improving their businesses adding that women have potential despite of fear and income shortage which tend to hinder their motives.
“Every woman has potential so through this meeting, it will help remove the fear of doing business, they will also learn ways to increase income so that they can stand in business,” said Ms Waziri, who is also Executive Director of Ibra Construction.
Exim’s Head of Branch Network Ms Agnes Kaganda said the training would also help them exploit their recently launched ‘Supa Woman Account and Wajasiriamali Account.
“The accounts are aimed at facilitating the smooth running of the business among entrepreneurs especially women in the country by enabling them to get emergency loans of up to 90 per cent of the amount in their accounts or bonds, mortgage loans and business loans,” Ms Kaganda added.
