THE Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday reported that it generated a total of 115,445 new jobs from 2010 up to the first half of 2015.
Moreover, the program has produced 20,985 new jobs from January to June 2015. Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo said the DOST-Setup program on average provides assistance to 3,000 micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) all over the country annually. For the first half alone of 2015, Setup has assisted 1,236 firms. Montejo said Setup produces a productive business environment for MSMEs to improve their capacity and boost efficiency through the infusion of appropriate technologies.
“Firms assisted with technologies are capacitated and become more productive, competitive [locally and globally] and bankable, thus, empowering more our MSMEs as they participate into the mainstream of business activity,” Montejo in a news statement
Montejo said all proposals for the program undergo strict evaluation by the Regional Technical Evaluation Committee (RTEC) to guarantee a high rate of refund by beneficiaries, uphold transparency and professionalism. RTEC is composed of competent people from the industry, universities and professional organizations. Their function is to assess the managerial, technical and financial capability and viability of the beneficiaries to handle science and technology interventions for sustainability.
Science Undersecretary for Regional Operations Carol Yorobe said the regional offices of the DOST make sure that funds released to proponents are assured for the project and implement due diligence to protect the viability of the project.
The regional offices release the fund directly to the supplier when the equipment have been purchased. In other instances, the release of funds is done through the bank which, in turn, releases it only when the required equipment to be procured is already available for delivery.
“The program’s monitoring system follows strict guidelines to ensure compliance by proponents and allow the enforcement of the provisions stated in the memorandum of agreement they sign before the assistance is given,” Yorobe said.
Moreover, DOST’s regional officers and staff conduct regular visits to the projects to monitor the progress, specifically on the utilization of science and technology interventions, and correspondingly implement the necessary improvements when needed.
Montejo, however, admitted that the program has its share of delinquent accounts. But he pointed out that the DOST implements a restructuring program of their refund schedules within the allowable period of time. “I believe that there is no other program in the country that focuses on improving productivity of MSMEs through technology intervention. Overall, our refund rates run about 85 percent but we don’t give up on MSMEs that encounter difficulties to ensure higher compliance,” Montejo said.
“For proponents who fail to abide by the MOA [memorandum of agreement] provisions, the appropriate legal actions are pursued in accordance to existing rules and regulations,” he stressed.
From 2010 to June 2015, the DOST-Setup recorded a total funding assistance of P2.2 billion with 29,401 technology interventions provided to MSMEs mostly in the regions. The interventions include consultancy, human-resources training, packaging assistance, design and labeling, among others.