Economy, Investment and Small Enterprises Minister Chris Cardona today emphasised how important small- and medium-sized enterprises are in order to help the economy flourish, adding that the government is constantly working on initiatives to help such enterprises face today’s challenges.

Speaking during a visit to SmartCity today, where he met individuals conducting workshops as part of the EBIZ programme, Dr Cardona said that the main aim of this project is to equip SMEs with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to adapt to today’s needs.

The EBIZ courses will help businesses – including shop owners and self-employed – to overcome the challenges posed by the limitations of the traditional markets and to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the latest developments in ICT, particularly in electronic commerce.

Dr Cardona said that he is informed that the first phase of the project has turned out to be successful and added that this project will definitely not be the last.

During the workshops, Joseph Buhagiar, a Malta Enterprise Business First official, spoke of the various schemes which exist which may be of assistance for enterprises, including the Micro Invest and Get Qualified schemes.