Woman Power

INDUSTRY MINISTER URGES SMEs TO BE SERIOUS ON STANDARDS: MBS SLASHES CERTIFICATION FEE BY 50 PERCENT
Minister of Industry Honourable Roy Kachale Banda has urged Small and Medium Enterprises in the country to ensure their products are meeting required standards for them to compete favourably on the market.

The minister has also asked the SMEs to be realistic on pricing saying the ministry has noted that some local enterprises over charge their products for bigger profits the situation that is discouraging others from doing business with the SMEs.

"SMEs should have their products certified to be able to compete on the market, they should also be realistic on pricing" said the minister.

On Wednesday 24th February 2021 Kachale launched Malawi Bureau of Standards sponsored training on standards and certification process for SMEs at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre.

On the training, the minister applauded MBS and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (SMEDI) for the innitiative which is also expected to contribute to the creation of one million jobs, one of the priority agendas of Tonse government.

MBS Director General Mr Symon Mandala said the trainings have been tailor made for SMEs with the aim of ensuring that they (SMEs) understand and are able to implement relevant Malawi Standards in their product and service realisation process.

He also disclosed that the Bureau has reduced by 50 per cent, certification fees SMEs pay to have their products certified. However, Mr Mandala said the reduction will not compromise standards.

The launch of the training sessions follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MBS and SMEDI to help more SMEs have their products certified.

The first set of the training sessions started on 24th and ended on 26th of February 2021 in Blantyre and Mzuzu.

Information Age vs industrial Age
Means of production can now be rented: the entire supply chains can be borrowed a little more than the marginal cost of the underlying products entrepreuneurs produce. The basis of competition is often on design, business model, or technological acumen.....

How is your business fairing?

Adapted from Eric Ries ~ Author, The Lean Start-up and The Start-up Way

NOMINATE TEMWANI CHILENGA
There is a competition by Eli Njuchi, the Brand Ambassador for Fadeth Furnishers. Fadeth Furnishers is giving a way a brand new high tech sofaset to any deserving Malawian. Planetarium Institute believes that Temwani Chilenga (a primary school teacher at Chambu Primary School in Lilongwe who supports vulnerable and disadvantaged children) deserves this award. How to do it: nominate TEMWANI CHILENGA so that she gets 10 000 likes. Click on the link below, "Eli Njuchi page" and type in the comment section, "I nominate Temwani Chilenga":

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=270052331151136&id=100044391130590

The Tonse Alliance campaign promise pledged 1,000,000 jobs in a year (2020/2021 especially). This was greeted with vehement criticism and disbelief.

Why do you think it is not possible for Malawi to create 1,000,000 jobs in one year?