The Scottish Government Continues To Build Malawi’s Private Sector Economy
External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop today launched a new business consultancy project which will support economic development in Malawi.
The Scotland Malawi Business Group’s project, supported by £399,688 from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund, provides new consultancy services and offers practical, hands-on advice and guidance to micro, small and medium enterprises, delivered by Scottish business consultants working with Malawian trainees.
Ms Hyslop said:
“Scottish business expertise is helping to support Malawi’s economic development. Small businesses play an important role in increasing a country’s growth. This has been vital in Scotland and that is why we support this connection in our engagement with Malawi.
“The Scotland Malawi Business Group (SMBG) should be commended for its good work in the important area of consultancy and micro finance. Developing economic and business knowledge is key to creating sustainable livelihoods and enabling Malawi to build its own economy. This latest initiative from the SMBG will do just that and I’m delighted to be involved in today’s launch and be able to see and hear at first hand the real impact it is having on people’s lives.
“I have also been impressed by the SMBG’s work on microfinance, which is encouraging vulnerable women in the south of Malawi to break out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency through investment in small enterprises at the village level. The women I have met today are inspiring, working hard to improve their economic security through investing in their livelihoods.”
George Finlayson, Trustee, Scotland Malawi Business Group said: “We are delighted that Fiona Hyslop is in Malawi to launch our latest initiative. This is a development project run on commercial lines which will deploy Scottish consultants working on a voluntary basis to build local business consultancy capacity, while at the same time offering practical, hands-on advice and guidance to micro, small and medium enterprises.
“Although the international community gives generous support to Malawi’s development, surprisingly little of it is used to stimulate private enterprise. It is to the Scottish Government’s credit that it identified this gap and is encouraging Scottish organisations like mine to help close it.”
The Scotland Malawi Business Group’s – Capacity Building for Enterprise’ project has received £399,688 over three financial years (2009/10 – 2011/12) from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund, following Scottish Government support of £12,835 in 2008/09 for a pilot project in early 2009.
Topics: 2010, Britain, consultancy, credit, developing, development, economic security, Economy, fund, Governance, government, Government of Scotland, Great Britain, local business, Malawi, micro finance, moniter, monitor, news, poverty, private enterprise, Scotland, Scotland Malawi Business Group, Scottish business, Scottish Government, self sufficient, SMBG, SMEs, supprt, training, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, village, Women
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