Citizen entrepreneurs identified 10 demands from the first Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises in the country, in order to support those projects and remove the obstacles they face and stimulate the economy as a whole.
They told «Emirates Today» that these demands, which they considered urgent, are to raise the proportion of government purchases from small and medium-sized companies to 50%, and establish a fund to support the defaulters during the crisis of “Covid-19,” in addition to collecting and directing all funds and institutions for financing and supporting projects In the various emirates of the country under the umbrella of the new ministry, in addition to supporting important sectors in entrepreneurship that do not receive attention, temporarily reducing the prices of communications, water and electricity for these projects, in addition to establishing a procurement platform for small companies, and finding an easy and effective mechanism to finance new projects, as well as obtaining Priority in tenders and facilitating the establishment procedures, while reducing fees for doing business.
Governmental procurement
In detail, the entrepreneur, Jassem Al-Bastaki, called for raising the percentage of government purchases from small and medium companies to 50% instead of 10% from the federal government and 15% from local governments, noting that raising the percentage will lead to large financial flows among companies that allow them to grow with Get her money quickly and regularly with the continuity of supply operations in the long run.
Al-Bastaki called for the establishment of a government fund to support the defaulters during the "Covid-19" crisis, suggesting that the fund be financed in part from zakat money.
He stressed that the existence of a new ministry concerned with entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises, will support the aspirations of entrepreneurs that the ministry have a strong role in relation to increasing support for emerging projects.
Umbrella
For his part, the entrepreneur, Dr. Khaled Abdel-Latif Al-Nimr Al-Zarouni, demanded that the new ministry be the umbrella that unites, collects and directs all the funds and institutions for financing and supporting small and medium enterprises in the various emirates of the country, especially since each institution has different financing and support policies.
Al-Zarouni also called for the support of the new ministry, important sectors of entrepreneurship that do not receive the attention and support required from funds and financing institutions, especially the health sector.
He stressed that the current period requires small and medium enterprises to obtain a reduction in the prices of telecommunications, water and electricity, demanding that the new ministry support the small projects obtaining the reduction to support their competitive capacity in these circumstances, even if only temporarily.
He praised the decision to establish a ministry for small projects, noting that the existence of an independent ministry concerned with and supporting those projects was a dream for entrepreneurs.
Private platform
In turn, the entrepreneur, Walid Hareb Al-Falahi, called for the establishment of a procurement platform for national small and medium companies in order to activate their access to government purchases at the federal and local levels while giving national projects a priority even if their prices rise by 10% over other companies.
He pointed out that the establishment of the platform supports the continued work of these companies and increase their ability to expand and supports its role in creating more job opportunities and employment in the state, and relieves the great pressures that the Corona crisis created on companies, which is reflected in supporting the national economy as a whole.
Funding mechanism
In the same context, the entrepreneur, Ahmed Al Shehhi, asked the new ministry to find an easy and effective mechanism to finance and support new small projects, which contributes to stimulating the economy and encouraging Emirati youth to enter the business.
He said that some financing funds do not accept financing new innovative projects, and if you agree to finance, financing will be based on difficult conditions and complicated guarantees that are difficult to be found by businessmen, because these projects are viewed as high-risk projects as they are not traditional projects in areas that facilitate their success.
Al-Shehhi called on the Ministry to find a mechanism that gives owners of innovative projects a priority in obtaining various government tenders and contracts, indicating that certificates can be issued from a specific authority determined by the Ministry, so that these certificates stipulate that these innovative projects get priority under this certificate.
Facilitate procedures
To that, business leader Mansour Ahly called the new ministry to intervene to support small projects by facilitating the establishment procedures in the local economic circles and reducing fees for doing business during the first years of the life of the project, especially employment and health fees, indicating that these fees account for a large percentage The capital of the small business owner may sometimes reach half.
He also called on my family to reduce the license cancellation fees, explaining that "the cancellation fees are high, although the entrepreneur is forced to cancel the license, because he often faces great financial difficulties in continuing the work."
The 10 demands
Increase the percentage of government purchases from small companies to 50%.
Establishing a fund to support the defaulters during the "Covid 19" crisis.
Assembling finance funds and institutions under the umbrella of the new ministry.
Supporting important sectors of entrepreneurship that does not receive attention.
- Reducing the prices of telecommunications, water and electricity temporarily.
Create a procurement platform for small companies.
Create an easy and effective mechanism for financing new projects.
- Obtaining priority in tenders.
Facilitating the establishment procedures.
Reducing fees.
The presence of a new ministry concerned with entrepreneurship that supports the aspirations of owners of emerging projects.