"JICA is ready to provide assistance beginning in 2012 to those areas."Palu (ANTARA News) - The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has announced that it would provide guidance to the entrepreneurs of small and medium-scale industries in Central Sulawesi province.
Its support areas include technical aspects as well as marketing and capital, the head of industry division of the cooperation, small and medium industries, industry and trade official of Central Sulawesi, Puady Haming, announced here on Tuesday.
"JICA is ready to provide assistance beginning in 2012 to those areas that cannot be provided at the government and local administration level," he noted.
According to Puady, the office held several meetings with JICA officials regarding assistance to small and medium-scale industries in Central Sulawesi and JICA offered to support four types of industries - fried onion, cocoa, rattan and fish.
Further, JICA promised to provide whatever support is needed by the small and medium-scale industry entrepreneurs which cannot be met by the government.
"They can provide technical assistance, such as training to produce qualified and competitive products, open market access and funding," Puady said.
The office had proposed seven areas of small and medium-scale industries to receive JICA`s assistance, namely fried onions, woven rattan, fish processing, cocoa, coconut, fish, eel and seaweed. However, JICA chose only four industries.
Puady hoped that with the assistance of JICA, the efforts of the small and medium-scale industries in Central Sulawesi would be developed, both in production and marketing.
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Central Sulawesi province had recorded how total production of small and medium-scale manufacturing industry in 2011 increased by 1.17 per cent compared to 2010.
(Uu.KR-LWA/INE/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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