“They are the engines that we must strengthen so that in the future we can take them to a higher level of entrepreneurship,” emphasized the official, who focused on the development of this sector.
The country’s authorities promote projects such as Sello Blanco (poverty alleviation); My people, my product; Banco de Hilos and Canac (Women’s Empowerment), for which they have provided more than 800 million Quetzales (almost $103 million) in loans.
The current national administration registered 340,779 MSMEs from 2020 to the middle of this year, generating 80 percent of employment sources.
13.8 percent of the supported companies are dedicated to the textile and shoe industry; 8.2 for hotels and tourism; According to the economy portfolio, 6.3 percent went to services such as consulting agencies and 5.2 percent to the trades.
This capital concentrates the largest number (19,881), followed by the department of Quetzaltenango with 4,115, Sacatepéquez (3,996), Alta Verapaz (1,481) and El Progreso with 1,569, according to the data disclosed.
More than 36,000 MSMEs are part of the Digitalization Plan, an e-commerce initiative with American technology company Kolau.
According to experts, such a transformation aims to adapt the management of these companies to the technological changes in the world in order to increase their competitiveness.
The United Nations organization emphasized that MSMEs promote equitable economic growth provided they receive the necessary support.
At the global level, they represent at least 90 percent of businesses, between 60 and 70 percent of employment and 50 percent of GDP, according to the International Labor Organization.
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