Amman, 30 October 2009 -- Directors from 24 Empretec Centres gathered from 26 to 28 October in Amman, Jordan to discuss Empretec activities, plan expansion of business development services to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and consider new strategic directions for the programme. The 16th Empretec Directors meeting was hosted by Empretec Jordan, the Business Development Center. SMEs account for 98% of overall employment in Jordan.
Directors attended from Argentina, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Jordan, Mozambique, Mauritius, Nigeria, Romania, Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. This year, the Empretec network welcomed three new members: the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, and Zambia. Expansion is planned in other countries of Africa, the Middle East, and Central America. The United Nations Development Programme is ready to provide financials support for further expansion of the Empretec programme in the Middle East region.
A special session was devoted to overcoming the global economic downturn. Amer Al Hadidi, Minister of Industry and Trade of Jordan, highlighted in his opening address the challenges the Jordanian economy is facing in terms of significant declines in exports and drops in workers´ remittances. The actions taken by the Jordanian Government to ease the consequences of the crisis include the development of a national industrial strategy on trade and investment and a new focus on SME competitiveness.
Empretec directors in dealing with the economic crisis stated that seeking new opportunities, gathering information systematically, and improving quality of goods and services can help entrepreneurs to maintain and even grow their businesses even during times of economic downturn. In an ever-fast-changing economic landscape, SMEs can take advantage of being flexible and innovative.
Empretec training has been defined as one of the world´s best entrepreneurial programmes. Thanks to its unique methodology instilling enthusiasm and commitment in its network of entrepreneurs, participants in the meeting said SMEs in developing countries have been able to better face the credit crunch as trust and partnerships have been built with their suppliers and customers. Further, Empretec Centres serve as a business matchmaking platform for entrepreneurs around the world. As an example, Jordan and Uganda currently are examining ways through their respective Empretec centres to initiate water projects in Uganda using the technology of a Jordanian enterprise.
The Empretec network also will join other partners in celebrating "Global Entrepreneurship Week" to be observed in 80 countries from 16-22 November. This initiative aims at inspiring young entrepreneurs and launching new business initiatives. Fiorina Mugione, UNCTAD coordinator of the Empretec programme, in an address to the meeting, encouraged Empretec centres to work on development, to reach out to target groups, to build skills, and to expand entrepreneurs´ access to finance.
SEBRAE - the Brazilian Micro and Small Businesses Support Service - will host the next Empretec Directors´ meeting in Rio de Janeiro in 2010. UNCTAD currently coordinates 28 Empretec country programmes in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
