Recently appointed Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez plans to convince mall owners and retailers to provide free mall spaces for micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The proposed program aims to bring the products and services of MSMEs to the domestic market and boost the reach of these enterprises to prepare them for a bigger scale when it starts exporting its products.
Lopez has already spoken with businessman Lance Gokongwei of the Robinsons Malls, who has confirmed his support for the program. The secretary also plans to set up meetings with the SM and Ayala Groups.
The MSME products are expected to be of trade fair quality for it to be provided free space in the malls. These displays will be given a limited period of time as other batches of products will be showcased to give more enterprises a chance of being exposed to the market. Lopez said that the products to be showcased must be able to compete with the products that are already being sold in the mall.
This program will show the administration’s support for MSMEs, Lopez added.
