People's Committee of SocTrang Province

Published purpose

This project aims to create expanded economic opportunities for poor rural women and men, including ethnic minority populations by providing funding to the province of Soc Trang for the development and implementation of a five-year Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Development Plan. The initiative uses provincial systems and institutions, and contributes to the province's broader socio-economic development objectives. The project has three interrelated components: 1. Development and implementation of a five-year SME Plan, including provisions to: simplify business registration; improve business development services; facilitate access to finance, land and markets; and strengthen human resource development to meet SME labour force requirements. 2. Support to priority small-scale infrastructure work promoting SME development in 18 communes of five districts. 3. Strengthening the capacity of participating partners at provincial, district and commune levels in SME development: planning, budgeting, financial management, procurement, and monitoring. The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) improved small and medium enterprise (SME) competitiveness in an established favorable business environment for men, women and ethnic minority-owned SMEs in selected sectors; (2) an improved infrastructure system facilitating sustainable and gender-sensitive SME development in selected communes; and (3) improved public governance to support sustainable and gender-sensitive SME development in Soc Trang Province.