(PORTHARCOURT, NIGERIA) Chairman of the Rivers/Bayelsa States’ branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Charles Beke, has called on financial institutions in the states to make it easy for MAN member-companies to access the N220 billion intervention fund created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to help Micro, Small and Medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).
The chairman made the call at the First Quarter General Meeting of the branch held in Port Harcourt recently. Officials of Fidelity Bank and Rivers State Microfinance Agency (RIMA) made presentations on accessing the funds to the members.
Beke frowned at the recruitment of middlemen by the banks whenever importation of equipment was involved, arguing that this escalates the costs for MAN members.
The MAN chairman urged all member-companies to avail themselves the services of the MAN Resource Centre in Lagos to enable them come out with viable business plans acceptable to the lending banks.
The General Meeting was informed that MAN Headquarters was intervening on behalf of all MAN members to ensure that their difficulties in accessing the funds are resolved.
Beke also informed members about their courtesy visit on the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Rivers State, adding that the executives would collaborate with the Rivers and Bayeslsa governments to tackle all issues including double taxation that hurt all companies in the two states.
According to Josy Nkwocha, the chairman, Publicity and Membership Committee, Beke also urged all MAN members to pay the old electricity tariff pending an out-of-court resolution of the matter by the two bodies.
