In Ethiopia, Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) is prioritised as important means of economic diversification, job creation, income generation and equity distribution as indispensable poverty reduction sector since 2006. Despite the great attention given to micro and small enterprises, little research exists that examines challenges and opportunities of the Sector in the implementation trajectory. With the new initiative of National Development Programme to Accelerate Sustainable Development to Eradicate Poverty (PASDEP) in 2006-2010, the government has been commencing a new Micro and Small Enterprises Development Strategy. However, the blue prints strategy would be able to prove in the process to achieve the goals and target through timely evaluation of its implementations. It has been long time and common to listen and observe complains of MSEs on the overall sectoral performance and strategic incompatibility both among the unemployed societies and existing MSEs. Based on this rationale, the study was intended to assess the challenges and opportunities of the existing MSE strategy in Ambo town. In this descriptive research primary data were collected from 135 MSEs in Ambo using stratified and purposive sampling design.<br />MSEs in Ambo town are facing different challenges. These challenges are identified as marketing, financial, good governance, i.e., lack of market place; inadequacy credit facilities and inefficient service delivery. The study shows that the long and delayed procedure to establish MSEs is the most common challenges observed in both the old (2006) and new (2011) strategies. These are mainly as a result of inefficient human resource capacities of the sector and cumbersome procedures of credit and saving institution in the town. Moreover, a little understanding of unemployed society on the strategy is the main gap creating misunderstandings. Findings indicated that, the above challenges are a bottle-neck to the goal set by the strategy to create jobs for unemployment and being urban base of local economic and social development. In prospect wise, the study asserted that, the 2011 strategy has been improving MSEs to have a clear definition, typical set ups and structure arrangements as enterprise. Therefore, the strategy has identified as the means to change the societal structure by creating broad local economic and social development to the extent of medium investors. Finally, promoting awareness to active unemployed citizens by giving continues capacity building for both office staff and members of enterprises, local governance reforms and the rechecking of MSE establishment procedures are important in alleviating the problems at implementation stage.
7th ICSDAP Conference in Bangladesh: Some Experiences and Reflections for the Way Forward
