Entrepreneurs Seek Government Support to Cushion Effects of COVID-19
The Chief Executive Officer, YNorth Wears, Mr Seun Bamiro, has appealed to the government to come up with plans that will help many small, medium scale enterprises find their feet post Covid-19.
Bamiro who commended the government for the two months loan referral noted that the loan being serviced could not translate to any meaningful impact on business due to the lockdown occasioned by the pandemic.
He lamented that despite the downward trend in business, his organisation would not cut down its staff strength because of the multiplying effect on those to loose their job.
He also urged the government to come up with policies that will build the capacities of entrepreneurs and small business owners, saying that the pandemic had shown that many people only live from hand to mouth.
He also hinted that his organisation would soon come up with an idea on how to empower people for them to be able to make some money while even staying at home.
He said “We have over 120 staffs working with us from the production staff to sales reps, supervisors and others. Covid-19 is a big deal because we didn’t prepare for the epidemic. We had a lot of vision to achieve and our mission to pursue in the year, but the whole situation has actually affected us.
“I think the government should help us talk to financial institutions to instead reduce the interest rate and give us at least six months or moratorium after the pandemic would have subsided and business resume because if you decide to shut me down and I have loans to pay and even staff, that means what the government is saying is that we should indirectly cut off our staff strength and that has a way of affecting the economy as a whole.
“I will like to appeal to government to increase the capacities of entrepreneurs in the country. With the current situation, we have actually seen that we cannot do anything on our own in this country.
“The more we build the capacities of our business to come up, that is when we can say we have an improved economy. Right now, this epidemic has showed us that we have not done anything. At a point I was scared with the way people are helpless and seeking support just to live and survive.”