Govt readies initiatives to assist MSMES recover from pandemic

THE government is embarking on initiatives, including shifting toward digitalization, to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES) recover from the impact of Covid-19 and adapt to the new normal.

During the national conference of employers, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Ana Dione said technology plays a crucial role in ensuring sustained business operations and continued employment in the new normal labor market, while ensuring the safety and health of the work force.

“The challenge that we need to face and accept with the retooling, reskilling and upgrading all of the Filipino work force as companies repurpose their products and services and as the production process requires more demand for digital and soft skills,” she said. Dione said they are ready to deploy a productivity toolbox for MSMES and technical assistance in developing productivity-based incentives schemes to these firms.

“These include business continuity plan capacity building. Those are the programs we are going to implement from now and up to December and hopefully next year, we hope that it will help contribute to the recovery of the economy,” she added.

Kim Lagcao, board secretary at the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-national Capital Region, earlier said two-hour productivity trainings through Zoom online platform have been started for the MSMES for free even during lockdowns.

Rosemarie Edillon, undersecretary for Planning and Policy at the National Economic and Development Authority, said the Task Force on Recovery chaired by Neda is formulating and monitoring the government’s action plans to facilitate the restarting of social and economic activities, while engaging the society in preventing the spread and mitigating the ill effects of Covid-19 pandemic.

Edillon said the sub-task force uses REBUILD PH framework where rebuild stands for revitalized business, livelihood, investments and domestic demand.

She said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will come out with a set of assistance measures to help the businesses, especially the MSMES, on how to shift toward digitalization.