Anti-Corruption Training Video for SME's

We are pleased to share with you an online Anti-Corruption Training Video for SMEs that we just produced.  Through lectures, scenarios, quizzes, and a final test, the video provides SME owners and employees with a basic understanding of corruption, its causes, and its consequences.  It also offers practical guidance on avoiding corruption and how to respond in potential corruption situations.  The running time of the video is approximately 39 minutes.   You can access the video through the following link:  http://businessesfightingcorruption.org. Read more...

Mindanao SMEs Said in Need of Better Financing Schemes

AGRICULTURAL and other small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Mindanao need more access to financing in order to grow, the country’s biggest business group said in a statement yesterday.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) and the government’s conditional cash transfer program can play a key role in providing well-targeted financing for these economic segments.

Launching of FINEX SME Financing Portal

Capping this month’s celebration is the launch of SMEplus, a loan portal developed by Foundation for Filipino Entrepreneurship, Inc. (FFEI), in collaboration with the Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED).  The loan portal is meant to address the needs of SMEs for easier access to financing.

Recognizing the difficulties experienced by many SME owners in securing loans from lending institutions, FFEI conceptualized SMEplus in response to the clamor of entrepreneurs whose financing travails have long been ignored.  Through this internet-based portal, SMEs can easily post their loans requests while lenders may view and directly communicate with borrowers regarding the provision of loans.  They can also conduct a search for fellow SMEs, service providers, lenders, consultants and other SME programs. Read more...

MSMED Councils to Hold First National Conference

As part of the program celebrating SME Month, the 1st MSME Development Councils National Conference is scheduled to be held on 19 and 20 July 2012 at the Marco Polo Hotel, Cebu City. The conference is being jointly organized by the Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in its role as Secretariat of the National MSMED Council, and the Deutsche Gesselschaft für International Zusammenarbeit Private Sector Promotion Program (GIZ PSP). Conference participants will consist of at least 150 representatives of the National and Provincial MSMED Councils, officials from the DTI Head Office and 86 provincial offices, Secretariat Heads, and the GIZ.

The 1st MSMEDC National Conference is expected to to create greater awareness, commitment and action on the administration’s ‘Big Push’ policy for MSME development; present the highlights of the DTI and GIZ PSP Program and its contribution to MSME development; clarify the functional mandates of the Provincial MSMED Councils (PSMEDCs); share and learn from good practices and exemplar initiatives; and, create and reinforce networks toward mutually beneficial partnerships. Read more...