Excellence Awards Set Up for Small Businesses

SMElink Project by PlaNet Finance in collaboration with local project partners Federation of Women Entrepreneurs' Association of Nepal (FWEAN) and Federation of Handicrafts Association of Nepal (FHAN) has instituted the much-awaited Small Entrepreneur Excellence (SEE) Awards.

Speaking at the award announcement programme, FWEAN president Pramila Rijal said that cottage and smallscale industries need to get easy market access not only at the domestic level but also at the international level. According to her, about five lakh women entrepreneurs are engaged in cottage and small scale industries spread across the country.

Speaking on the occasion, former FHAN president Pushkar Man Shakya said SMElink is designed so as to promote small scale industries at higher levels. The export scenario of Nepal is satisfactory but there is still the potential to double the export volume. "What we need is economic diplomacy to boost the export scenario of the country," said Shakya.

Shakya also spoke about the upcoming handicrafts event. From November 5 to 8, FHAN in cooperation with PlaNet Finance will hold the eighth Handicraft Trade Fair and sixth Craft Competition.

The SMElink project is funded by the European Commission in its Asia Invest budget line that started in September 2007. SMElink is a threeproject programme with the goal of fostering marketability and competitiveness of Nepalese Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) to enhance their export capacity in the European market primarily in three sectors -- jewellery and metalcraft, pashmina and tourism.