The Businesses Consult Africa’s (BCA) Entrepreneurship Revolution Programme (ERP) has started at a slow pace with the recruitment of close to 1 500 businesses and entrepreneurs six months down the line since its roll out in October last year.
The figure is below the programme implementers initial expectation of 5 000 patrons within the first six months of operations.
BCA managing director Henry Kachaje, however, said they wanted to put in place administrative modalities before accommodating more participants.
“We did not want to be overwhelmed with large numbers before setting up other working modalities,” he said.
Operating in a pilot phase, the programme is currently being implemented in the country’s major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
Kachaje said they targeted the cities in the initial phase of the project to ensure enough time to adjust programme delivery mechanisms before reaching out to remote areas.
According to Kachaje, the first 15 months from October 2012 to December this year were set aside for sensitisation and registration of members.
Kachaje said plans are underway to penetrate into the country’s districts to reach more businesses and entrepreneurs.
He said the K5 000 five-year fee would not keep people away from enrolling in the programme.
“We have even introduced a one-year membership fee of K1 500 (about $3.75) to accord everyone an opportunity to enrol,” he said.
Kachaje disclosed plans to establish district business associations aimed at grouping prospective programme beneficiaries for easy provision of business development services.
The BCA’s ERP programme is being implemented under the auspices of NBS and First Discount House (FDH) banks.
