The government has assured women entrepreneurs of its strong
support in creating and fostering a friendly environment for their businesses.
Vice President Dr Gharib Bilal said this yesterday in Dar
es Salaam at the Seventh Eastern African
Entrepreneurs Exchange Network (EAWEExN) Conference aimed at empowering women
in the region to make them grow in business.
“The government will continue to work hand in hand in
collaboration with the private sector to create a friendlier environment for
women in business,” Dr Bilal said.
The government was aware of the challenges inhibiting
women’s full participation in trade forcing many of them into informal sector,
he said.
He mentioned some of the challenges as legal and regulatory
frameworks, tariff barriers to trade, lack of market infrastructure and
inadequate access to credit and finance.
He said that EAWEExN has proved to the government that women
are capable of bringing about great positive changes in their communities,
nation and regions, adding that the government’s biggest role is to facilitate
them.
“We are committed to remove barriers to trade and to support
women initiatives in the establishment, formalisation and growth of their
businesses,” the vice president stressed.
The government has however placed policy and institutional
mechanism towards empowering women, aimed at improving the business and social
environment to push forward the economic involvement of women, he said.
Other efforts, the Vice President said, include providing
legal literacy and education and training that will help them have access to
land and finance, and reform labour laws for their easy participation in
national, regional and international markets.
Moreover the government has continued to allocate funds for
programmes such as the establishment of Property and Business Formalisation
(Mkurabita) and credit to women issued through the Women Development Funds
(WDF), both aimed at empowering women economically.
For her part, Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC)
chairperson Fatma Riyami, said the conference will help the entrepreneurs to
secure networks and share experience with their counterparts in other countries
for improvement of their businesses.
“This conference will strengthen women entrepreneurs’ networks
in eastern Africa and
expand their markets to the countrys’ members,” Riyami explained.
Vikoba’s Chairperson Devota Likokola for her part, said they
are happy about women’s turn up at that conference, adding that that is one of
the big steps to bring women together and help them move forward economically.
Ends.
Post a Comment