Electronic Self Service Terminal (SST) at Rent-A-Desk
The strategic partnership between FDC (Free State Development Corporation) and CIPC (Companies & Intellectual Property Commission) brings relief to SMMEs (small, medium and micro-enterprises) by bringing services to their doorstep.
The CEO of FDC, Ikhraam Osman, and CIPC Commissioner, advocate Rory Voller, launched an Electronic Self Service Terminal (SST) at Rent-A-Desk on 2 June 2017. This initiative assists aspirant Free State entrepreneurs and SMMEs as they are now able to register their companies with CIPC at a minimal cost of R175. In addition to cutting the transport cost of having to travel to Pretoria for registering their business, they receive their registration certificate within two days after registering.
According to CIPC, the facility is a government response to meet the needs of emerging business people by bringing services at low cost to their doorstep.
FDC CEO Ikhraam Osman indicated that Rent-A-Desk is a co-working space of affordable shared services that provides SMMEs and other businesses an opportunity for collaboration and networking, secure parking facilities, boardroom, full reception services and high-speed Internet. Other advantages include housekeeping services, access to a fully equipped kitchen, printing and email facilities.
Botshabelo Industrial Area
In November 2017, the Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, and his delegation conducted site visits to Botshabelo Industrial Area to assess the state of development of manufacturing entrepreneurs. Companies visited included CMT operators, tyre manufacturers, roofsheet manufacturing, LSF frames, trusses and hall panel manufacturers, PVC ceiling manufacturers and suppliers, household electric goods manufacturers and broiler producers.
The purpose of the visit was to assess for himself the state of the development of manufacturing entrepreneurs and the conditions under which they operate. This was intended to ensure that government enterprise development support programmes respond to specific needs of manufacturers, such as ensuring that provincial government and municipalities source from local manufacturers, to help to sustain their business and generate much-needed jobs.
The FDC and DESTEA (Department of Economics, Small Business, Tourism and Environmental Affairs) were directed by the Premier to implement targeted market access and product development interventions to enable the Botshabelo SMMEs to grow their business and facilitate access for them to the incentives that are available for their business expansion projects.
