By irene mwende
Common Market for East and Southern Africa has launched a ksh 3.2 billion women textile project in Kenya that will benefit women hence will open creation of jobs
Speaking during the launch of ksh 3.2 billion program principal secretary Juma Mukhwana stated that reduced tarrifs will help women businesses overcome challenges and increase their opportunities in Intra Africa trade
Members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) secretariat are calling for the bloc member states to consider revising their tariffs on women goods and services.
“Lowering the tariffs is taunted to offset the financial constraints women startups face due to limited collateral to aid women businesses compete effectively in the regional market, the block’s women business arm, business incubator for women entrepreneurs is seeking to incubate 100 women startups at the Kenya industries research and development institute facilitates the 2.3 billion shillings Spanish funded incubation programme will prioritize women business in the digital and agro processing sectors innovators and will be trained on book keeping, and financial literary in a bid to formalize their startups”said Juma Mukhwana
Mukhwana added that Supporting women business is part of the government initiative to increase manufacturing from the current 15 to the GDP to 20 by the year 2030 .
COMESA Sec general Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe,reiterated on the need for supporting women economically through sustainable investment such the BIAWE project.
“There is compelling evidence that entrepreneurship is a powerful driver of economic growth and that women make a significant contribution to the economy through their entrepreneurial activities and involvement in the labour market,”said Kapwepwe
He further added that most of those women-run SMEs lack the requisite adequate business planning, marketing and management skills to enable them become champions of their areas of business ventures
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COMESA has amplified the industrialization drive on increased investment, industrialization and promotion of gender equality and creation of an enabling business environment in the Member States through legal and institutional reforms