Tuesday 04 July, Honiara - Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group (SMEWG) has appointed Charles Sisimia and Joyce Lelau as Chair and Vice Chairperson.

The working group is established as part of a resolution and adoption by SICCI Board on 5th March 2020 in accordance with Clause 18.1 (k) of the SICCI Constitution.

The purpose of SMEWG is to provide a platform for informed decision from experts knowledgeable to SME operations and challenges.

Mr. Sisimia says, the SME Working Group acts more like a technical committee overseeing potentials and also advocate changes on issues affecting SMEs.

He acknowledges members’ who have voluntarily committed themselves to support the working group by undertaking specific programs and activities that would improve the sector.  SMEs play an important role in the private sector when comes to providing employment, paying taxes to the government and keeping vital services moving.

“It is important for us to work as a team, produce documents and position papers to the government in an effort to strengthen our sector.

“Our collective ideas will be a game changer when it comes to SME development priorities both in private and public sector,” he says.

Sisimia further adds that, SMEs have been blitzed with challenges especially taxes, requirements and processes to operate and these are agendas that the new committee will pursue and try its best to deliver conducive environment for SMEs to operate.

The committee will be working closely with the government on tax concerns for SMEs and also try to put forth a position for the proposed SME Bill.

SICCI’s Advocacy Officer, Mr. Elvis Bwaa says, the meeting allows the new subcommittees of SMEWG to examine the main priority areas that the working group will focus on from 2023 through 2024, which includes identifying key projects, strategies, and initiatives that will be undertaken to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the given timeframe.

Finally, such working group enables members to gain a comprehensive understanding of the main objectives of SMEWG, which established under the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) to effectively represent the interests and concerns of SMEs.