SMEDA will train more businessmen in Mauritius

Indranee Seebun is heading Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) since last month.

“With the economic crisis there is a sense of fear that among the SMEs. We are here to make sure that nothing hinders the progress of the SMEs in Mauritius,” said Seebun, GOSK and former minister of Rights of Women, Child Development and Well-being of the Family.

How does it feel to be the head of SMEDA?

I am very proud as it allows me contribute towards the progress of SMEs, in which I believe a lot. After I have been appointed as the head, members of SMEs have come forward and expressed their concerns, especially regarding the economic crisis.

How do you intend to contribute in the further development of this sector?

We work with organisations such as the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development, Mauritius Business Growth Scheme, Development Bank of Mauritius and other institutions. Our approach is to train more members of small business communities to help them grow.

We will be organising the ‘salon des entreprises’ from September 1 to 4 at SVICC to build a common platform for SMEs. In this event they will be guided by big enterprises which act as a support. The aim is also to help SMEs have greater visibility of their products. We will also do marketing of a Mauritian label created by SMEDA, the Genuine Mauritian Product label, as the national brand. It is designed to encourage people to produce “genuinely Mauritian” products.

What is SMEDA doing to increase visibility of the SMEs?

At SMEDA, we work towards enabling SMEs to be more competitive in a business world which is very demanding and sometimes merciless. That is why we invest so much to give direction to medium-sized enterprises, by improving their management skills, negotiation skills and customer service. We will also encourage SMEs to use latest technologies.

What do you think is the role of a Mauritian women in economic development?

Woman have always been central to decision making in society. It is clear that women are most affected by unemployment. Woman have emancipated a lot and now occupy key positions in many fields. Women can contribute significantly in the economic development of our country. There must be more women at the top in the private sector.