Govt assures women of better business environment

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.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN