MoPIC, ICTDAR and TAGorg Launch National M/SME Toolbox in Jordan

      Mrs. Al-Ali: Todays event is an excellent example of how the government, private sector, and international donor organizations can work together.

Abu-Ghazaleh: The small businesses of today will be the giants of the future.

AMMAN---November 13, 2007--- Under the patronage of H.E Mrs. Suhair Al-Ali Jordans Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, the National "Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Toolbox (M/SME Toolbox)" was launched on November 13, 2007 at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business (TAGCB), in a public ceremony attended by representatives of the private sector, government, UN agencies, embassies and the media.

The M/SME Toolbox is a joint venture between the Information and Communication Technology for Development in the Arab Region (ICTDAR) program /the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg).

In her speech, Mrs. Al-Ali commended the efforts of ICTDAR/UNDP and TAGorg for the development of this toolbox.

"This creative new business tool will equip Micro, Small and Medium enterprises with an ICT application that will significantly contribute to enhancing their productivity and efficiency," she said. 

Mrs. Al-Ali added that todays event is an excellent example of how the government, private sector, and international donor organizations can work together to bring about the change and prosperity we all hope to achieve.

"I am confident that by working together, we can in fact actively contribute towards improving the lives of our people," she concluded.

Meanwhile, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO of TAGorg and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact, noted that this program is a success model of the partnership between private and public sectors.

He emphasized that this project serves the Global Compacts mission in enhancing social corporate responsibilities.

"By serving the society, you serve yourself because it rewards you at the end," Abu-Ghazaleh stated.

"This achievement, pioneered by ICTDAR, triggered other international organizations, such as the World Bank, to initiate a new project that is complementary to the M/SME toolbox," he said.

Moreover, Abu-Ghazaleh underscored the significance of supporting such small projects due to the great influence and role they will play in the future.
 
"The small businesses will grow and have definite and continuous success if they were directed in the right path and provided with the necessary resources; the small businesses of today will be the giants of the future," he stressed.

On the other hand, Mr. Luc Stevens, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, highlighted that with the increased need for public and private partnerships and the role that the private sector plays in development, the support for M/SME becomes indispensable.

"Support to growth and competitiveness for SME is especially important in a country like Jordan, where the majority of its businesses is composed of either Micro, Small or Medium enterprises," he said.

"Small and Medium enterprises are the engines of growth and bring the potential for expanding employment opportunities for Jordanian men and women," Mr. Stevens added

Mr. Ziad Haddara , ICTDAR Representative, announced that the first training on the updated version of the M/SME Toolbox will be held in Jordan within the coming few days in cooperation with three NGOs.

In this respect, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh re-emphasized his support for this initiative by offering free access to the TAGCB premises and services, to facilitate the implementation of this project.

At the end of the event, a presentation on the program contents was delivered and an open session was held for interested participants to use the Toolbox demo.