By 
Accurate News Nigeria
Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum has disclosed that Buhari’s led government has disbursed sum of N56,842,780,000.00 to 1,079,323 beneficiaries across the 36 States of the federation.
Katagum stated this during flagging off the Guaranteed Off-Take Scheme, the last component of the MSME Survival Fund Scheme in Abuja.
The ministers said over 85 percent of the targets have so far been reached, with the intention to complete the remaining percentage.
According to her, “Under the Payroll Support Scheme, our initial target was to reach 500,000 beneficiaries. Our current standing is put at 459,334 successful beneficiaries across the 36 States and the FCT. Out of this number, we have recorded 43% female-owned businesses and 3% special needs”
“The Artisan and Transport Scheme had an initial target of 333,000 Artisan and Transport beneficiaries. We currently stand at 293,336 successful beneficiaries across the 36 States and the FCT”
“The CAC Formalization Support Scheme set out to register 250,000 new businesses and I can report that to date, 244,162 small and growing enterprises have been successfully registered free of charge, across the 36 States and the FCT”
Also “the General MSME Grants Scheme had its initial target set at 100,000 MSMEs and we have successfully completed the provision of grants to a total of 82,491 till date” she said.
She stressed that the success of the foremost schemes has necessitated the launch of the Guaranteed Off-Take Scheme in the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to kick-start the economy and drive the needed growth.
The Minister said while the scheme targeted 100,000 beneficiaries, 50,032 MSMEs have been pre-qualified out of the 65,976 applications received during the registration phase of the scheme. She said the aim of the scheme is to increase the production capacity of the MSMEs while also boosting economic growth.
“It is important to note that the purpose of GOS is to stimulate direct local production by enabling 100,000 MSMEs in the production sector with funds to produce ‘post-COVID lockdown’ off-take products. These products include: Face Masks; Hand sanitizers; Liquid Soap; Disinfectants and Processed Foods such as garri, palm oil, groundnut oil, and spices. We have successfully carried out a mapping of products produced in sufficient quantities in each state of the Federation and the FCT”
“At the end of the off-take process, items procured will be handed over to the State Governments for onward distribution to Schools, Hospitals, NGO’s, as well as other public and private institutions each State Government may wish to consider as beneficiaries”
She noted that the balance of funds from GOS will be re-purposed and applied to other tracks where there are high numbers of applicants on the waiting list.
In his remarks, the MSME Survival Fund Project Coordinator, Tola Johnson said successful applicants will be required to complete the pre-production and pre-supply phase of the project, after which a mobilization fee will be paid to them.
“The total value of each Grant is N100,000. Applicants who successfully return to the portal to complete their documentation will receive N30,000 fee to commence production of their selected item. Applicants’ have 14days to complete production and deliver to their selected Warehouse/Collection Point”
“Applicants who successfully complete their documentation process will receive N30,000 as mobilization fee to produce and deliver items to their selected Warehouse/Collection Point. Upon successful delivery of items, the applicant will receive the balance of N70,000,” He said.
It would be recalled that MSME Survival Fund Scheme which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on July 1, 2020, falls under the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan.
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