AUTHORITIES in Simiyu Region have instructed community development officers in Maswa district to ensure they help provide marketing skills to all entrepreneurial groups that benefit from the 10 percent loan fund, in order to expand markets for their products.

This directive was issued recently by Assistant Regional Administrative Secretary for Industry, Trade and Investment Proches Tumaini during an inspection of the groups of women, youth and people with disabilities.

While inspecting one of the groups, which is involved in selling alternative charcoal for clean cooking energy in Maswa district, he said such groups’ needs to be empowered and have a reliable market due to their importance in environmental conservation. 

He also advised them to increase efforts in building the capacity of the groups to diversify their products to include other alternative energy sources, beyond just selling products for home use.

Furthermore, Tumaini instructed the community development officers to prepare a plan to build capacity of entrepreneurial groups in the district to help them market their products, grow their businesses, and be able to repay their loans on time.

Simiyu Regional Community Development Officer, Fadhili Wilhelm, in addition to promising to implement the directives, also urged the groups to cooperate effectively to achieve their goals of eradicating poverty.

Some of the women from the groups thanked the government, through the council, for enabling them to receive the 10 percent loan funds from internal revenue to empower themselves and fight poverty.

He also said that to ensure the groups are empowered and to implement the directives of the government for the 2024/25 fiscal year, Maswa District has provided over 300m/- to empower 31 entrepreneurial groups consisting of women, youth and people with disabilities.