The International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with Access Bank Rwanda have conducted a training programme in the area of value chain supply, aimed at suppporting Small Medium and Enterprise (SMEs) owners and managers to expand their businesses.

During a two day workshop (on Monday and Tuesday) at Prime Holdings, SMEs were trained on creating an affective value chain management system that is critical to having and sustaining a dominant share of the market.

SMEs were trained on creating an affective value chain management system that is critical to having and sustaining a dominant share of the market.

"We have equipped them with specific tools that will show them how to influence the market and increase their share. The challenge for SMEs is to understand their position along the value chain,” Ignance Rusenga Mihigo, IFC’s Rwanda Entrepreneurship Development Program (REDP) Manager said.

Mihigo observed that SMEs need to take advantage of Rwanda’s ‘young’ economy that provides a favourable environment for business growth.

The content of Value Chain Support program also provides information and tools for SMEs on how to source and improve finance management along the value chain supply.

Jacky Kayiteshonga, the Head of Institutional Banking Group, Access Bank, noted that his bank has developed a strategy to bank the whole chain of the target customer.

He noted that effective cross-selling of the bank’s products depends largely on a clear identification of its customer needs.  

IFC has committed $2.4 million for a period of two year in the REDP initiative to support the growth and competitiveness of SMEs as well as developing local entrepreneurship.

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