NAN-HE-17
Loan
Abuja, Dec. 8,2017 (NAN) The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Business Membership Organisations (MSME BMOs) on Friday said it would mobilise 1,037,000 beneficiaries for the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP) loan scheme within four months.
This was part of resolutions contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day interactive session held with leaders of 30 identified National Associations in Abuja.
The aim was to brainstorm on ways of ensuring the successful implementation
of GEEP as well as to strategise on how to ensure financial inclusion for rural dwellers.
The communiqué was jointly signed by Mrs Rose Gyar, the Chairperson, and Ms. Zainab Mohammed, Coordinator of GEEP Advocacy Platform (GAP).
GEEP Advocacy Platform (GAP) is a platform made up of business membership organisations that advocate for the successful implementation of GEEP.
The GEEP which is also called Marketmoni, is aimed at providing interest free loans to market women, traders, artisans, farmers and other microenterprise groups.
The programme plans to provide loans within the range of N10, 000 to
N100, 000 to 1.6 million Nigerians which is expected to be paid within six months.
It is particularly aimed at those in the rural areas who do not have access to financial services.
The communiqué called for a quick disbursement of loans to beneficiaries qualified to access loans under GEEP programme.
It called for the termination of the long delays presently being experienced by beneficiaries to access loans under the scheme.
It also advised that GEEP should clearly communicate and adhere to a specific timeframe for beneficiaries to receive the loans once successfully registered on the scheme.
The communiqué said that GEEP would succeed in mobilising beneficiaries if all the impediments challenging the successful implementation process of the loans were surmounted.
The MSME BMOs also reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the organisations work together to fast-track the development of the MSMEs sub-sector for national economic growth.
It also urged the Bank of Industry (BoI) to address key service delivery challenges affecting beneficiaries from accessing loans.
It said this would boost the confidence of MSMEs, particularly those in the rural areas to participate in the GEEP programme.
“There is the need to simplify the operational framework for GEEP.
“There is also the need for association leaders and the media to sensitise and educate the rural populace on how to access the GEEP loans.
“A stronger synergy should be established with religious and community leaders as well as the media to achieve success in the implementation process, especially in the enrolment of beneficiaries under GEEP.’’
The communiqué urged the inclusion of mobile money agents in the disbursement and repayment of GEEP loans.
This, it said would be useful to rural dwellers.
It also suggested that the planning and management of the GEEP process should include national association leaders to ensure ownership, accountability and sustainability of the programme.
It called for a closer partnership between GAP and BOI to support the process for ensuring seamless implementation of the programme to achieve the desired objectives.
The communiqué called for more consistency in information dissemination on the registration, disbursement and repayment process for loans under the GEEP programme. (NAN)
ATAB/EEE
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Edited by Ese E. Ekama