Use State incentives to grow, SMEs toldSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to utilise Government incentives to grow their brands to global levels.A state tourism agency has noted that many SMEs are not aware that the incentives exist. “Some of the incentives include pictures and paintings at duty free or with exempted value-added tax (VAT),” said Tourism Finance Corporation Managing Director Jonah Orumoi. However, inadequate or tough conditions laid out for SMEs to access funding has made it a challenge for the businesses to position themselves internationally. Café Deli proprietor Obado Obadoh said the Government needed to facilitate access to funds for local brands, which would give them a chance to compete at international levels. “Some of the international brands that have set up base in Kenya have no loans that need to be repaid (but we do).

Source: Standard Digital February 27, 2019 21:00 UTC