16,000 Deltans To Benefit From Govt’s N500m Micro-Credit

BY ANDREW IKEHI

With less than two weeks to the end of the year, the Delta State government has said that it will not close its 2018 “Balance Sheet” without the disbursement of over N500m to prospective beneficiaries of its small and micro-credit loans as captured in the 2018 budget.

Should it happen anytime soon, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, no fewer than 16,000 Deltans cutting across different trades and local government areas of the state would benefit, the Executive Secretary, Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (DSMSMEDA), Mrs. Shimite Bello has said.

Although no specific date was mentioned for the disbursement, Bello, who disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The Pointer in her office at Asaba, listed some of the target groups and associations to benefit from the proposed disbursement exercise to include; Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Butchers’ Union and Artisans.

Others, according to the DEMSMA boss include; Farmers association, STEP and YAGEP beneficiaries, welders union, among others.

Her words; “As I am speaking to you now, we have procured some equipments that we are ready to give out. We have screened all the would-be beneficiaries and, very soon, the owners of those equipment will come and pick them. We are indeed happy about that.

“Aside the equipment, we are also prepared to give out grants to farmers. We have spent the whole year screening beneficiaries to make sure that everybody who was supposed to get was given.

"We are careful in doing this in order to ensure that those who have benefited before were not given again.

“As I speak with you, we have perfected arrangements with UBA to ensure that everyone involved received alert so that they can start preparations for farming early enough next year.

“Again, we have also engaged transporters, members of the NURTW to find out what we can do for them. They have been able to come out with something which the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has graciously approved. So, they are on queue.

“We have also spoken with the butchers union. We have to go through this process because; experience has shown that there are people who do not repay loans.

"We did analysis on the behavioural patterns of the different trades and we discovered that for some people, it is better to give them grants while some are comfortable with loans.

“We were able to get approval for grant for quite a number of people in excess of 16,000 while for the loans; we are looking at certain trades such as butchers, transporters, as well as STEP and YAGEPreneurs. I can tell you that before the end of this year, there will be a lot of smiles.

“Most of what we did now was from the feedback at the town hall meetings; that was where we chose the different trades.

"This year, before December 31, we are going to be disbursing in excess of N500m. Everything is set and we are ready to go,” Bello assured.

lol see governor okowa see him lip first....