Qatar’s entrepreneurial milestones amid the Covid-19 pandemic were among the highlights of the speech delivered by HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari during the first virtual edition of the Qatar Entrepreneurship Conference 2020 (Rowad Qatar) held Monday.
Al-Kuwari, who is also chairman of Qatar Development Bank (QDB), said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and QDB were instrumental in the achievements made in the field of entrepreneurship, such as the launch of the ‘National Guarantee Programme’.
The programme was rolled out upon the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and under the supervision of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, said al-Kuwari during his speech.
“The programme was set into motion as part of the state’s QR75bn support package to the private sector,” said the minster, who also cited the national response measures to address the impact of Covid-19 on the country.
As a pioneering national initiative, al-Kuwari said the conference builds on the success of its previous editions and complements the nation’s strategy to enrich the entrepreneurship ecosystem, which has been positively reflected in many international reports and indices.
The minister highlighted that last year, Qatar ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and third globally, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report.
According to al-Kuwari, the ministry’s keenness to boost co-operation and joint co-ordination with the various relevant government agencies aims to facilitate and expedite procedures for granting approvals and licences necessary for establishing businesses and providing access to these services through the digital single-window platform.
He said the ministry launched the ‘Land and Industrial Loan’ initiative, in collaboration with QBD to help investors obtain licences and industrial plots in the manufacturing-SMEs space and complete the financing procedures using the same application submitted for acquiring the plot, in a step aimed at encouraging investors to contribute to the country’s progress, self-sufficiency, and economic diversification.
During the virtual conference, it was also highlighted that the State continues its diligent efforts to remove all obstacles facing stakeholders in the private sector, which, al-Kuwari said, “encompasses supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem during the recovery phase and steering its focus towards priority sectors that rely on technology and RDI as the national economy’s main drivers towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The five-day Rowad Qatar, which will run until November 19, is organised by QDB with the support of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as strategic sponsor; QNB and the National Tourism Council (platinum sponsors), Ooredoo (gold sponsor), and Qatar Chamber (honorary sponsor), in addition to many national partners representing various sectors and industries.
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