2014 MSME Expo in Davao eyes P3M in sales
Atonio Dela Cruz, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), said Thursday that the same expo last year earned a total sales of P1 million.
The expo, which will feature a total of 46 booths, is among the series of activities in July that will focus on MSMEs in the city.
In celebration of the MSME week on July 7-12, a showcase of products of producers based in Davao will be held at the Pasalubong Center. There will also be a food fair of MSMEs with 12 booths at the lobby of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the same week.
In 2012, the Office of the City Mayor proclaimed every second week of July as the MSME week “to institute awareness in the primacy of small business in nation-building and in people empowerment.[]
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Dela Cruz, also the vice chair of the newly formed Davao City MSME Development (MSMED) Council, said among their concerns is the lack of capitalization. He cited that most of them have experienced difficulty in getting loans for their business because banks would require a three-year financial record, among others.
Robert Barlis, officer-in-charge of the Department of Trade and Industry-Davao and head of the MSMED Council secretariat said the MSMEs need to improve their competitiveness through trainings and technology.
He said MSMEs compose 99 percent of over 30,000 establishments in the city and provide several jobs, but only contribute less than 50 percent to the local economy.[]
Most MSMEs here are involved in trading and services, he added.
The MSMED Council was formally created through Executive Order No. 4, Series of 2014, to support the needs of MSMEs.
The council will “help establish the needed environment and opportunities conducive to the growth and development of enterprises in the city.”
Barlis said the city needs P10 million to put up the shared services and facilities for the MSMEs.
The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. office hosts a business center which serves as a venue for trainings and consultancies for MSMEs. (Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews)
