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MIRTDC to lease out equipment to SMEs
By
Ayam Maeresa - 18-07-2002 |
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The Malawi Industrial Research and Technology Development Centre (MIRTDC) has said it will lease out low cost production equipment to cash-strapped entrepreneurs to boost economic activities at the grassroots level.
Director of commercial services Sandy Kachale said in an interview the centre will provide the equipment to allow the businesses engage in small scale production or processing of agro-produce.
He said MIRTDC, which is part of a group of organisations implementing the programme with funding from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (Hipc) facility, decided to lease out the equipment after realising that many people failed to venture into business due to lack of capital.
“We are going to encourage them to form groups according to their business interests and then provide them with the right equipment,” said Kachale, whose organisation is training people in the districts in agro-processing techniques.
He said MIRTDC will monitor the performance of the business groups to ensure that the machines are put to good use.
Although the organisation was eager to distribute the equipment, Kachale said MIRTDC will withdraw the equipment from non-performing groups.
Under this arrangement, he said, those trained by the centre will get fruit juice presses and solar driers to process fruits such as oranges, into juices and dry vegetables and bananas, respectively.
Depending on how committed they are to their cause and viability of their businesses, he said the groups would acquire the assets by meeting manufacturing costs. |
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