Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi has urged business development advisors to help small and medium enterprises assess their project if the country is to succeed in creating 200,000 off-farm jobs each year.

The premier was on Saturday addressing business development advisors from across the country during the closure of a two-week civic education training at the National Ubutore Development Centre - Nkumba in Burera District.

Business development advisors are stationed at the sector level to help business operators run profitable ventures and help them with business ideas that can attract funding.

Premier Murekezi said while Rwanda wants to become a middle income country in the near future, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have a crucial role to play in building an inclusive economy for all citizens.

However, he said, this can only be achieved once business development advisors worked closely with entrepreneurs in the preparation of business plans that will attract funding from various financial institutions and other sources.

"The job creation we embarked on will help the government fast-track sustainable and inclusive development, one that will be felt by all Rwandans. Having one part developed at the expense of another part of the country is counter-productive. Besides affecting the economy, it can also be a security threat,” Murekezi said.

He emphasised that well-studied SME projects are likely to be funded by financial institutions, especially microfinance institutions like Saccos, and will, in turn, offer employment to more unemployed citizens, especially the youth.

Challenging the advisors to rise up to the demands, Murekezi said despite the opportunities, funds are still left idle because non-marketable business plans submitted.

"There are business ideas that people cannot easily identify but you can do so,” he said.

Ideal business projects that are funded under the Business Development Fund (BDF) will be transformed into business, Premier Murekezi said.

Under BDF, beneficiaries are given 75 per cent of the project’s cost and they are required to raise the remaining 25 per cent by themselves.

Business development advisors said they were ready to help people from their respective sectors to seize up opportunities and create more jobs and boost their socio- economic development.

Local leaders were also tasked to work hand in hand with the advisors to ensure that more off-farm jobs are created and more people employed.

"There is no universal formula for a business idea. Each sector has unique opportunities and that is our role – to identify such opportunities and pitch them to business operators,” said Joseph Mukasa Bajyinama, from Gicumbi District.

Business development advisors will identify potential entrepreneurs, assess their pitches and guide them on preparing marketable business plans.ditorial@newtimes.co.rw