Over eight hundred and fifty-seven Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs in Ukwani, Ndokwa West and East, Isoko South and North, Patani and Bomadi Local Government Areas have completed their verification for the Delta CARES grants.
Addressing the owners of MSMEs, at the Enumeration centre at Oleh, the Executive Secretary of the Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, (DEMSMA), Honourable Orezi Esievo, said the verification exercise was in batches and urged them to be patient.
Barrister Esievo noted the importance of MSMEs meeting the eligibility criteria for the grants, noting that those qualified after the verification exercise would be credited.
She lamented the adverse effects of the global pandemic on businesses, especially the micro and small enterprises, adding that the grant was to boost small businesses in the state given their economic importance.
The DEMSMA Executive Secretary reiterated that Delta Cares COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus Programme was for thirty months and lauded Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his vision of job and wealth creation.
A PDP Faithful and Former Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Matter, Reverend Godspower Agbuduta called on youths in the state to take advantage of the various government empowerment programmes to be relevant in the society.
Mrs. Kate Onah at the Ndokwa West enumeration centre, said the Cares Programme was apt, as businesses suffered set back during the COVID-19 pandemic and thanked the state government for the initiative.
Some of the enumerators, including Solomon Enuma, Ekeh Uchechukwu and Obiageli Usume commended the MSMEs for their orderliness.
The MSMEs including Opia Cynthia, Odini Kenneth, Ochonogor Kate and Comrade Chuks Ekezue at the Kwale enumeration centre who spoke to Journalists shortly after their verification, said they were impressed with the laudable initiative of the state government.
The respondents urged MSMEs who received text messages for the verification exercise to avail themselves.
The MSMEs pointed out that the Cares programme was not a scam as perceived in some quarters.
