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Extension for the SMEPol Project
The Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development Project, a partnership between the Egyptian Ministry of Finance, CIDA and IDRC has been extended to January 31, 2008 with a renewed but slightly different mandate.
The extension period will focus on achieving results in policy implementation in 3 specific areas: access to finance (venture capital, micro finance and leasing), increasing access to government procurement and supporting measures to assist heretofore informal companies to formalize.
Thus, the nature of the project will be to support the capacity of the MoF committees and other policy reform mechanisms to successfully implement policy measures resulting in the creation of a more enabling business climate.
As well, SMEPoL will support a broader and deeper stakeholder input into the policy formulation process through applying a human rights approach to development. |
Extension for the SMEPol Project
SMEPol Project Has New Senior SME Specialist
Environment as an Aspect of M/SME Policy Development
Acknowledgement of SMEPoL Project's Staff
The Role of the Equal Opportunities Unit in MoF
Promoting Venture Capital Business in Egypt Roundtable
Applying a Gender Lens on Key SMEs Policies
The Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Training Program |
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SMEPol Project Has New Senior SME Specialist
Ms. Lois has been working in the area of small business and entrepreneurship policy for the past 16 years holding posts with the Canadian government as Director, Entrepreneurship Development with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Director of Policy & Liaison in the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Office of Industry Canada, and Director of Economic Framework Policies in the ministry’s Strategic Policy Branch.
Prior to joining the Government of Canada in 1990, she spent ten years as a university professor teaching and researching in the areas of small business management and entrepreneurship. She has authored (or co-authored) seven books and has published over 45 papers and articles on topics related to women entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, the role of small business and entrepreneurship in economic development, and entrepreneurship policy. She has conducted studies of government SME/entrepreneurship policy in 14 countries, including Canada, the United States, nine European countries, Australia, Taiwan and China. This work has resulted in the publication of a series of books on the nature and construction of SME/entrepreneurship policy. She has also done policy assessments in four Eastern African countries, mostly related to the enabling environment for the growth of women’s enterprises.
As a Past-President of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), Ms. Lois has an extensive global network of contacts and colleagues. She is also a Past-President of the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE) and a member of the International Reference Council of the Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research. We interviewed Ms. Lois in her office about her experience with the SMEPol Project so far.
Q: What do you think of the SMEPoL Project, compared to others that you have worked on in the past? A: Well, I am quite impressed with the objectives of the project and what it has achieved so far. It has built up an incredible body of knowledge to help define small business problems and needs and I can see that it has had a lot of influence in shaping the policy agenda and building policy-making and public consultation capacity in the area. Of course, the work is not done yet. I think there is opportunity to further solidify the SME policy-making machinery inside the Government of Egypt and to strengthen the capacity of SME associations to advocate their policy needs.
Q: What are the major challenges you faced throughout your career? A: For some reason I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and small business issues. One of the biggest challenges for me in the past, has been in convincing a large number of government officials that specific policies and measures are needed to level the playing field for SMEs and to ensure they have adequate access to the resources and supports to get started, survive and expand. I was a champion for small business policy in Canada back in the mid-1980s when there really wasn’t such a thing. It has taken a long time to position small business at the top of governments’ policy agendas and even then there are always skeptics! It takes strong evidence, good analysis, the right economic arguments, and never-ending pursuit. I have made this my life’s work.
Q: What has your experience been like so far, working in Egypt? A: I was excited about coming to live in Cairo and work on the SMEPol project. I had been wanting for quite some time to do more work in developing countries and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it. The climate is wonderful – I especially like the ‘no snow’ part – the MSE sector is dynamic, there is tremendous potential for improving the operating environment for private business, the people I have met here are all committed to making this happen, and the SMEPol team is fantastic. Of course, it would be helpful if I knew more Arabic, but I am working on it! Environment as an Aspect of M/SME Policy Development Since inception of the Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development Project (SMEPoL), environment has been identified as a cross-cutting theme in project activities. SMEPoL is now in the process of exploring means of better integration of environment issues in M/SME policy development in Egypt. Accordingly, the project has commissioned Megacom consulting to conduct a study on environment as an aspect of M/SME policy development in Egypt. The objective of the study is to assess the current status of M/SMEs’ environmental practices in Egypt and what environment-sensitive M/SME policies should be developed and/or enforced. The study will include an international experience and literature review, in addition to a review of the local current status including laws, regulations and decrees as well as international binding agreements, conducting a field survey of M/SMEs to assess their awareness and challenges in compliance with environmental requirements, in addition to their perception of the advantage of compliance with such requirements. Activities undertaken by other active organizations/initiatives will also be examined.
Based on the analysis of international experiences and current status, an action plan will be developed including explicit, specific, realistic recommendations identifying responsible entities of each action, the timeframe for implementation and the impact/justification of each action. This should cover the areas of awareness, challenges of compliance and policies to be developed and/or enforced. Recommended actions emanating from the study will not be limited to SMEPoL/MOF but to other pertinent governmental and non-governmental organizations that can play a role in this regard.
Completion of the study should be done by February 2007. Afterwards, a workshop including identified actors and relevant stakeholders will be held to discuss findings and recommendations of the study and to put them into action. Acknowledgement of SMEPoL Project's Staff
The Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development Project have organized a one day event to acknowledge the significant contribution of the SME team in the Ministry of Trade and Industry to SMEPol project since its inception to date, in addition to their successful participation in SMEPol’s Capacity Building Program. The conference also included acknowledgment of staff members that used to work with SMEPol Project and with the SME team in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Finance.
The event was held on the 18th of July 2006, which also marked the date for the one year extension phase of the project with the Ministry of Finance. Around 30 staff members participated in the event, and were handed certificates of acknowledgement.
Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and SMEPol’s staff members SMEPol continues to organize the second phase of regional conferences which stretches now to nine different governorates (Qena, Sohaj, Damiette, Fayoum, Portsaid, Qualyoubia, North Sinai, South Sinai and Suez).
The purpose of this round of regional conferences is to raise the awareness of SMEs on the efforts of governmental and non-governmental organizations in enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs in Egypt, on both; the national level (policies), and the local level (NGOs, SFD, Universities existing in the governorate).
The
regional conferences provide a good opportunity for entrepreneurs
to express their views on
Furthermore, the conferences are designed in a way that allows for the maximum interaction between government representatives and SME owners. This is achieved through providing ample time for SMEs to discuss their problems with the various government officials, thus catering for all entrepreneurs’ needs and requests.
The Role of the Equal Opportunities Unit in MOF
EOU was established in 2001 within MOF; however, it was not fully active. In August 2005, an Official decree from H.E. the Minister, Dr. Youssef Botrous-Ghali was issued to establish of the EOU with the aim of promoting equality of opportunities for MOF employees. With the official decree, came the inclusion of the Unit as part of the organizational structure of the Ministry and an annual budget was allocated for its activities.
EOU consists of 7 members and 18 representatives from the 18 different departments within MOF. In addition, the representatives have a second level of subordinates.
Objectives of EOU
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Lois
Stevenson from Ottawa, Canada, joined the SMEPol Project in October
2006 as the Senior SME Specialist and Project Coordinator, on behalf
of the Canadian Implementing Agency, IDRC. Her appointment followed
the departure of Greg Goodwin who returned to Canada in September.
a number of policy issues, in addition to being introduced to the
new financial policies developed by Ministry of Finance (e.g. the
new income tax law, customs law and government procurement), and
other ministries.