Dutch consultants, experts to help SMEs

With its belief in the potentials of the small-medium (SME) industry in the country and its role in the development of the private sector, a group of Dutch consultants and experts are expanding their reach to the Filipinos by way of providing free consultancy services.

PUM-Netherlands Senior Experts Chief Executive Officer Jan Röben disclosed that they would send in senior managers and specialists for one or more short periods to advise companies in developing countries. These experts provide their services for free and their mission, he said, is to help entrepreneurs who are interested in learning from people with experience in their own profession.

Their effort however is mainly focused on the SMEs. "PUM's program is designed for the medium-sized companies in the private sector. These are the companies that hold the key to economic dynamism. Naturally, the many small companies and the few large companies are also important for a country's economic performance. But throughout the world, the spark that ignites economic recovery comes from the middle segment of private enterprise. And as everyone knows, life is generally not easy for these medium-sized companies," he said stressing that SMEs worldwide are important. "They offer real jobs, they pay taxes and they make the national economy grow."

As for the recipients of their assistance, PUM Country Coordinator Ton Hens said that it is up to their local representatives here in the country to generate the projects.

Eligible are companies controlled by local owners and are operating or willing to operate according to market principles and must have 10 to a thousand employees.

"Interested parties may apply and notify us describing in as much detail as possible the nature of assistance they need from us," he added.

PUM will then look at the application, which will then go to the process of matching the project with the experts available. PUM has a pool of 4000 senior experts who carry out about 2000 projects per year. Soon after getting the suitable expert, the applicant will then be notified and will be sent the bio-data of the chosen expert for the applicant's perusal.

The experts they will be sending, Hens said, has accumulated a wealth of specialist know-how, which they use to identify problems in a business organization and actively work with the entrepreneurs to come up with solutions. These experts will introduce new ways of thinking and of working.

"The consultancy service is absolutely free of charge. The applicant just have to shoulder the lodging, food and transportation of their partner expert," Hens disclosed.

Last year, PUM have assisted 23 projects and they are planning to expand this year up to 45 projects.



In Cebu, PUM has established projects with Optima Typographics, Profood International Corporation, Wellmade Motors Corporation, Detalia Aurora Incorporated, Do-It Marketing and Alliance Software Incorporated.