THE Provincial Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Council of Negros Occidental is currently working on creating a six-year action plan for 2017 to 2021 to serve as growth roadmap for local enterprises.
Provincial MSMED Council chair Mary Ann Colmenares, who spoke during the planning-workshop at the Business Inn Hotel in Bacolod City on September 29, said they are assessing and revising the previous action plan.
The new plan will then form part of the national roadmap to be crafted during the National SME Summit in Davao City in November, Colmenares said.
“The direction set by this action plan should include the provision of financing services to all MSMEs in the province by 2021. Meaning, programs of financial institutions must be responsive to the needs of our enterprises,” she added.
The Provincial MSMED Council through the two-day consultation, which will end September 30, has initially underscored the sector’s outputs and challenges, including the need for a business enabling environment and more support from the government.
In Friday's planning-workshop, the council will discuss the programs and their specific action plan to address the goals and targets.
Aside from establishing a business enabling environment, they will also discuss other components of outcome portfolios such as productivity and efficiency for MSMEs, and access to market and finance, Colmenares said.
The activity is being participated by council members along with representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
“The participation of these agencies, especially the BSP, is vital in implementing policies that could benefit the MSMEs,” Colmenares added.