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Cooperation among SFD and African States
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Due to the success attained by SFD in the
various development fields ahead of which is small and medium
enterprise development, SFD endeavors to explore areas of
cooperation with foreign states with special emphasis on African
ones. Building on this, Zimbabwean Minister of State Mrs.
Sithembiso Nyoni visited SFD and met with its Managing Director to
discuss possibilities of replicating the Fund’s experience with
regard to small and medium enterprise development in Zimbabwe. The
Zimbabwean Minister visited Alexandria to cast an eye over SFD
activities in the governorate, namely the Fish Market Preservation
Project in El Anfushi. |
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The Fish Market is one of the monumental
buildings, which has not witnessed any restoration since its
establishment at the beginning of this century. SFD contributes to
the restoration process with L.E. 1,5 million to rebuild and renew
shops nearby and get rid of waste thereby diminishing pollution
rate in the area.
The Managing Director also met with Youth, Vocational Training,
and Labor Minister of Cote D’Ivoire Mr. Kofy Lasar and probed
means of bilateral cooperation particularly in developing small
enterprises and exploiting natural resources abundant in Cote
D’Ivoire in different industrial domains. |
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Information network
for Egyptian enterprises: |
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In cooperation with the United Nations
Industrial Development (UNIDO), SFD organized a workshop for
discussing steps already undertaken in view of establishing
an information network for small and medium enterprise
sector in Egypt.
The idea of establishing this network was a
by-product of the increasing role of that sector in
providing more employment opportunities and came in response
to the many obstacles impeding it from performing that role
including insufficient market information and needs and
inability to manufacture competitive products. |
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Because the government of Egypt realized the
importance of providing information to small and
medium-sized enterprises and the necessity to coordinate
amongst the numerous bodies serving this sector, it called
upon UNIDO and the Small Enterprise Development Organization
(SEDO) -as a representative of SFD- to work for establishing
a national, sustainable, and demand-driven business
information network.
The network would link all envisaged
activities in terms of providing information to small and
medium enterprises, thus creating one liaison point for
these enterprises to access different services and products
offered by the network partner agencies.
Proposed services
were classified into three support areas: information,
business training, and on-line troubleshooting. |
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The preparation of initial studies and
information requirements was completed in details in
conjunction with SEDO and with the assistance of the other
national agencies supporting small and medium enterprises.
Up to March 2002, about 450 small and medium enterprises
were specified in order to identify potential information
needs and obstacles facing them.
More than 25 small and
medium enterprise support agencies were surveyed including
training providers so as to determine prospects of
cooperation.
The network would be established in two phases,
the first would include setting up a center in Cairo, while
the second would be planned to extend the center’s services
into other 10 regions in Egypt at a total cost of USD 1,2
million. |
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Japanese Technical Aid Program
introduced in Suez Canal Cities: |
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SFD and the
Japanese Bank for International Cooperation have signed an
agreement for providing a Japanese easy-term loan equivalent
to L.E. 170 million to SFD. Preparations are underway to
start implementing the agreement and qualifying SFD regional
offices in Suez cities and Upper Egypt to receive such an
enormous funding. |
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On the other
hand, negotiations between SFD and the Japanese Technical
Aid Agency took place to crystallize the items of the
technical cooperation agreement by virtue of which the
Japanese Agency would offer advice and technical support to
small enterprises financed by SFD. Agreement was made to
start three projects represented in: |
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Contracting with an Egyptian expert
house under the supervision of a Japanese expert and SFD
representatives to undertake a field study for investment
opportunities in small industries at the three Suez cities
(Suez/Ismailia/ Port Said). |
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Training field officers together with
credit officers on field monitoring and project evaluation
tools under the supervision of a Japanese expert following
SFD proposal of appropriate training programs. This program
serves about 140 field officers. |
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Monitoring the disbursement of the
Japanese loan allocated to developing small enterprises in
Suez cities and Upper Egypt. |
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Moreover,
SFD, in conjunction with the Japanese side, examines the
possibility of providing technical aid to business and
technology incubators funded by SFD. The Japanese side has
expressed willingness to contribute to this field provided
that representatives of the Japanese Technical Aid Agency
would visit some business incubators first to identify
technical aid opportunities. |
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Moroccan
Development Agency Representative visited SFD |
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Moroccan
Development Agency Representative Mr. Rafiq Al Omrani
visited SFD and met with some officers to express the
Agency’s willingness to establish a network for Arab social
development funds and coordinate amongst them in development
fields. He requested that a draft protocol of cooperation be
prepared by the two sides to be signed by the SFD Managing
Director upon his coming visit to Morocco. |
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Copyright © 2001 Social Fund for Development Egypt All rights
reserved |
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