admin_county March 13, 2020

Nakuru County ranked best destination for doing business for Micro Small Enterprises(MSEs).

BY JEREMY OGOLA

Nakuru County under the leadership of H.E Governor Lee Kinyanjui is ranked as one of the best destinations in terms of ease of doing business for Micro Small Enterprises(MSEs).

According to a report released today by the Kenya Manufacturers Association (KMA), on average Nakuru County is ranked third at a score of 35.14 percent in enhancing the business environment for MSEs after Nairobi at (65.33%) and Nyandarua at (40.48%) respectively.

In a bid to improve the business climate in Nakuru County, the report by KMA indicates that the current leadership has put in place a raft of measures such as policy, legislative and regulatory level reforms and market-level interventions including infrastructure and services, access to finance and labor force.

While addressing the forum during the launch of the report, Trade and Tourism CECM Mr. Raymond Komen said the report is a good impetus especially as Nakuru Municipality heads to city status.

He expressed optimism that the journey towards city status is unstoppable.

Komen called on the business community to focus on the positivity of the city status saying tourism and hotels will be the major beneficiaries of the elevated status, as they will be highly rated as tier one under tourism category.

He also pointed out that in the last two years his department had invested heavily in markets in order to boost small scale traders.

The Department has so far constructed two new markets as well as renovated eight existing ones.

The CECM, however, said there is a need for tougher regulations to protect local producers and traders from unfair competition.

In order to achieve sanity and decorum in the alcoholic industry in the County, Komen said there will be no approval of licenses for businesses that are in conflict with the Compliance and Enforcement Bill, 2014.

He said so far the Department is working under a strict directive by H.E Governor to correct the aspect of enforcement on Alcohol.

The Department is developing and implementing a compliance and enforcement code of conduct for county enforcement officers and the business community in the County.

Also present was Finance CECM Dr. Peter Ketyenya who pointed on the need to see youths get access to affordable credit.

He said the County Enterprise Fund, which is before the assembly, will enable young people to access with ease credit at 3 percent.

Meanwhile, in the 2018/2019 Fiscal Year, the Nakuru County Government invested in interventions that directly improved the business climate.

It graveled 906 Km of road, completed the grading of 397 Km of the road network and also tarmacked 10km of roads.

It also constructed motorable bridges, installed 200 streetlights and maintained 8,200 streetlights around the county.

On consumer protection and improvement of fair trade practices, the County Unit of weights and measures calibrated 4,000 weighing machines, inspected business premises and developed working standards and tools issuing 800 certificates.

It also revived two cooperative societies that had collapsed to the delight of members who will benefit.