By IBUKUN EMIOLA

Chairman of National Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, (NASME), Prince John Karunwi, says nano, small and medium scale entrepreneurs (NSMEs) are looking inward and up-scaling to cope with the current challenging economy.

Karunwi stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.

While acknowledging the fact that government had been making efforts to address some of the factors affecting the economy, he said that the association was also making efforts to help members survive and thrive at this time.

Karunwi said in particular that support was being provided in terms of capacity-building for SMEs to scale up their businesses.

According to him, one of such support is the workshop slated for April for artisans, in collaboration with SMEDAN and Oyo State Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

“This programme is to help them scale up

“After the training, we will link them with some business developers who will provide them with business services advisory to help them see the things they can do better in their businesses and link them to markets and grants.

“If we have to leave everything to the government, we will not get anywhere,” the NASME chairman said.

On the ease of doing business, Karunwi stated that the Federal Government had set up a committee that would ensure that business registration with Corporate Affairs Commission could be done in 24 hours.

He said that the association had been working to ensure that SMEs were prepared for opportunities.

“Most of the time, we wait for opportunities, but we don’t prepare for them. Whereas opportunities are for those who prepare for them,” he said.

Karunwi said that the association was working on tax relief for SMEs because of the challenging economy.

He stressed the need to keep educating SMEs on how to handle their businesses and which tax they were to pay.

“There are other taxations that MSMEs are finding hard to cope with, especially those in the manufacturing or production sector,” he said.

The NASME chairman expressed concern over the issues some of his members were having with NAFDAC on registration and standardisation of their products.

“It’s a lot of problem for people to formalise their businesses less alone scaling them up.

“We are supporting the nanos in terms of regulations and compliance. But government agencies should also make it friendly for them.

“We have to understand the pains of the NSMEs, know where they are and help them,” he said. (NAN)