By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

STATE Minister for Investments Khaalis Rolle said yesterday that the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA) would be launched in tandem with the National Development Plan, stating that under its current design “it won’t go as far as we need it to go”.

SMEDA is expected to serve as the “umbrella” body co-ordinating all of the government’s small business support services. “We want to make sure that it actually makes sense and will have the intended consequences,” Mr Rolle told Tribune Business. “As designed now it will help but it won’t go as far as we need it to go. What will now happen is that it will be given more reaction and will provide us with an opportunity to get more results on behalf of the SME sector.”

He added: “One of the things I recognise being on the inside now is that you can’t do anything meaningful in isolation. If it is not a part of a comprehensive integrated process you’re not going to get the long term sustainable result that you want. You can’t legislate a result.”

As to the status of the 25-year national development plan Mr Rolle said: “We’re nearly finished. We are going through the final editing of the state of the nation report and having it reviewed by different parties and different stakeholders to ensure that the information we got and the information that is represented there is accurate with the consultations that we went through.

“We’re just testing and editing right now so it’s well on it’s way.”