As a way of proactively responding to the challenges posed by Covid-19, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has offered some palliatives to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Nigeria.
Among the many palliatives is the reduction of its tariff by 80 per cent for the registration of Micro and Small Enterprises products for a period of three months.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Abuja today.
Other palliatives, according to her, include the offering of zero tariffs for first 200 micro and small companies to register their products on the launch day and giving waivers on administrative charges for late renewal of expired licenses for products of micro and small businesses.
She, therefore, encouraged Micro and Small Enterprises within the MSME classes of business to take advantage of these laudable incentives to massively embark on e-registration of their products.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that her agency carried some major reforms to create an enabling environment for MSMEs businesses to thrive focusing on micro and small companies which has recorded some great achievements.
Some of the achievements, she explained, are the creation of Small Business Support Desk (SBSD) to facilitate registration processes for micro and small business operators; reviewed guidelines for registration of products and uploaded them unto the website and the reduction of requirements for registration of some food and cosmetics products. Granting 50% discount on tariffs for product registration.
Other achievements are the expedited laboratory analysis for samples; allowing micro companies with similar products to share production facility; non engagement of consultants by companies for product registration and instructed them to visit NAFDAC offices directly and 90 working days timeline for product registration, she stated.
Prof. Adeyeye revealed that MSMEs contribute up to 45% of total employment and up to 33% of National Income in emerging economies globally.
While quoting the review of a 2017 survey by National Policy on MSMEs, she said it revealed that there were 41.4 million MSMEs and that about 99% belonged to the micro sub-sector in Nigeria.
