Briefing Paper

BIDPA Briefing The New Policy on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises

“Overall the new SMME policy is a mixed bag, with some good elements that should have a
positive impact on the sector, but with some missed opportunities to make that impact even greater. One characteristic of the Task Force recommendations that have been rejected
is that they would all involve government giving up some control, either by handing activities over to the private and NGO sectors to run, or by removing rules and regulations altogether. The fact that government feels unable to do this is disappointing,and undermines its commitments stated elsewhere to reduce its own role in the economy.”