SMEs eye 25pc of Govt projects

SMALL to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have started organising themselves into groups that can be in positions to provide the 25 percent jobs and procurement services to all Government tenders as required by law.

According to the Small Enterprises Development Corporation Amendment Act, 25 percent of all State contracts must be awarded to small to medium-scale enterprises to promote the sector’s growth.

This is part of Government efforts to promote the development of the sector by ensuring proper co-ordination and implementation of policies, legislation and programmes that have a direct impact on the development of small enterprises.

Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs secretary-general Mr Robson Hove said SMEs were mobilising themselves to claim their right in Government projects.

“It is written in the SMEs Act that the sector has to undertake 25 percent of all Government procurements. There has been failure to implement that in the procurement procedure because of a number of reasons. However, we are hoping that going forward we would be able to take our part,” said Mr Hove.

He said one of the targets that the SMEs were looking at is the dualisation of the Chirundu-Beitbridge Road.

“As of now we are working on getting our stake on the Chirundu–Beitbridge Road. We know that the SMEs have unique ideas as these people were the ones that used to work in closed construction companies that used to operate in the country,” Mr Hove said.

He said they had already identified over 65 companies that qualify in the projects even through subcontracting.

“We know that the project was given to a foreign company but we want our 25 percent even in subcontracting. We have identified over 65 companies that qualify to undertake such projects. We have seen that they will have the capacity and the necessary documents to do the job,” said Mr Hove.

Mr Hove also said the sector was hopeful that the Government will support players so that they benefit from such projects.

“What we want from the Government now is for them to abide by the law and grant us our part in procurement. We want to pay taxes knowing that the Government is also trying to capacitate us,” Mr Hove said.