SMEs expo will boost learning opportunities, says Maqbool

MUSCAT - The government is taking steps to develop Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the country with the aim of encouraging Omanis to become entrepreneurs, HE Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said on Monday.

Inaugurating a SME Exhibition and Conference at Oman International Exhibition Centre (OIEC), he said that the conference will provide an opportunity to entrepreneurs to learn from the experience of others including participants from foreign countries.

HE Khalil Bin Abdullah Al Khonji, Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), who delivered the opening speech said:

“SMEs contribute significantly to the national economy and the OCCI will support them to overcome challenges.” Abdul Adheem Abbass Al Bahrani, director-general of the OCCI, said: “SMEs have a complaint that it was difficult to get finance. We have discussed the issue with banks and they have agreed to provide more finance to SMEs”.

Jamal Al Asmi, business director at Reality Computer Graphics, who was also the moderator of the exhibition, said that around 60 per cent of the registered business enterprises in the Sultanate are SMEs.

Around 50 per cent of the working population is employed by SMEs, he said.

Dato Hafsah Hashim, chief executive officer of Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (Smidec) in Malaysia, spoke on her country’s experience in developing SMEs.

She said that the Malaysian government has introduced a rating system for SMEs.

It will help them to get business and loans easily. Malaysia is willing to provide training to Omani entrepreneurs, she added.