Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai mandated to develop the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector, organised a forum to support national SMEs in procurement and contracting.

The forum, organised by the Government Procurement Programme (GPP) at Dubai SME, was held at the Business Village in Dubai and aimed at enabling SMEs to access contracting opportunities with government departments in the UAE.

Representatives of Dubai Municipality, du and Etihad Airways presented details about contracts and procurement procedures and the steps to be followed by national SMEs to win the contracts.

Ibtihal Naji, director of the Government Procurement Programme, said the contribution of government departments in the procurement jobs undertaken by SMEs was remarkably high this year due to their confidence in the services provided by the Dubai SME members.

“They proved to be extremely reliable in providing excellence services in line with the standards and requirements of the government departments,” she said.

“The keen interest of national institutions to interact and support Dubai SME members through contracts and procurements will help them to grow their business. The Government Procurement Programme seeks to widen the role of the government institutions supporting the vital sector.”

“This is in line with the strategy of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to develop SMEs and enable them to compete globally and to strengthen Dubai's position as an attractive growth environment for the small and medium businesses,” Naji added.

Ibrahim Yaqob Ali Al Nasser, director, Contracts and Purchase Department, Dubai Municipality said the department is keen on facilitating and supporting the members of Dubai SME.

He also explained that the members of the Dubai SME have the preference and priority to participate in the biddings of municipal tenders and auctions, and enjoy the financial administrative facilities at all stages of dealing with Contract and Procurement Dept.

Hence, the value of documentation has been reduced by 50 per cent. They are also exempted from registration and renewal fees, not to mention the primary bank guarantee.

“Finally, the technical departments at Municipality are to deal with members of the organization in some categories of materials, services and engineering projects within the specific criteria to elevate the level of institutions and companies who are members of the organization. We are all hand in hand for the betterment of our dear country...” he added.

Fahad Al Hassawi, chief human resources and shared services officer, du, said: "We are committed to support the growth of Emirati entrepreneurs. Through our participation in the forum we are looking to help members of Dubai SME to identify the opportunities we are able to offer under the Government Procurement Programme, and wanted to familiarise the entrepreneurs with our systems and processes in order to help them achieve success."

The forum witnessed strong participation by the GPP members who provided an overview of the latest developments and trends in the domestic market. They also discussed the problems and obstacles Dubai SME members face and measures to overcome them. – TradeArabia News Service