CCCI advocates members' training for competitiveness

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) gears up towards improving it support to member companies, especially in pushing global competitiveness operations.

The German government, through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Program (Smedsep) program, recently conducted a "Strategic Planning" workshop for CCCI to define the chamber's goal especially to its members in the next two years.

Markus Ehmann, Smedsep senior adviser for business development services said since CCCI has new President and set of officers it has to have clearer and effective strategy in order to maximize its role to help its members.

Part of the planning recommended by Smedsep, is for the chamber to improve the service given to its members, getting the chamber globally competitive, among others.

Smedsep is a technical cooperation project, between the Philippines and the Federal Republic of Germany. This program aimed at addressing the challenges that SMEs are facing specifically in the third world countries, like the Philippines.

Ehmann said it is very important for CCCI to constantly feed its members with the latest trends in business, may it be regional or worldwide trends and updates.

"It is important that the chamber could provide more services for the members, offering them [members] demand driven services, most accurate, latest industry information, and effective training for global competitiveness," Ehmann said in an interview.

He said one of the hottest issues now faced by SMEs in the Philippines, is how to fight the increasing challenge of global competitiveness, this should be addressed in order to foster growth among small business players.

Smedsep has been giving support to the chamber for the last two and a half years now. Last year, the program recommended and supported the creation of CCCI web portal.

The phase one of the Smedsep program will end this month, another US$3 million is allocated by the German government through German Technical Cooperation to continue the second phase probably be implemented next month.

Last month, Smedsep provided a training workshop for rural bank operators in the Visayas, on how to help the financial needs of the small and medium businesses, including the micro industry players.