The Antigua and Barbuda government wants its entrepreneurship financing programme to consider purchasing small-scale manufacturing and food-processing equipment that could be made available to local entrepreneurs seeking to start businesses, Prime Minister Gaston Browne says.

Browne discussed the idea Saturday on the Browne and Browne Show during a conversation about reducing food waste and creating more opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans to produce goods locally.

The discussion began with the amount of locally grown fruit, particularly mangoes, that goes unused when in season and whether more could be processed into juices, frozen products and other goods.

“One of the things that we’re going to ask the Entrepreneurial Fund to do is even to acquire certain equipment,” Browne said, adding that the aim would be to “get entrepreneurs to get involved in various cottage industries.”

The prime minister said relatively inexpensive machinery is available that could allow small entrepreneurs to enter manufacturing without the large capital investment traditionally associated with industrial production.

Browne encouraged prospective business owners to research equipment available through online marketplaces, specifically mentioning Alibaba.

“When you go on Alibaba, I want to encourage our people to take a little time and go on Alibaba and you’ll see the amount of consumer products and even manufacturing products, manufacturing equipment,” Browne said.

He said some of the machinery could be used to establish relatively simple businesses.

Among the examples Browne identified were dehydrators, fruit-processing equipment, packaging machinery and automated car-wash equipment.

“They have dehydrators, they have things that can process different fruits,” Browne said.

He also pointed to the production of potato chips as an example of a business that does not necessarily require expensive machinery.

“Very simple equipment, it don’t cost a lot of money to make potato chips and so on,” Browne said. “They have packaging equipment.”

Browne urged people with viable ideas to approach the entrepreneurship financing programme rather than assuming they could not afford the equipment needed to begin production.

“Go online and bring your ideas to the Entrepreneurial Fund,” he said.

The prime minister suggested that, where appropriate, the fund itself could purchase equipment and then make it available to entrepreneurs.

“If not, we may have to get the Entrepreneurial Fund to even buy some of these things and then make them available to the locals who want to participate in business,” Browne said.

He did not outline how such an equipment programme would operate, whether machinery would be leased, sold or otherwise provided to entrepreneurs, or what eligibility requirements would apply.

Browne’s comments came as he pointed to what he described as growing interest in entrepreneurship in Antigua and Barbuda.

“Every week we get applications for entrepreneurial funding,” Browne said. “So I’m very happy with the increase in entrepreneurship.”

He highlighted a recently launched local toilet paper business and urged consumers to support products manufactured in Antigua and Barbuda.

“I want to encourage our people, as products are being produced locally, we must support our own,” Browne said. “We want to encourage you to buy local.”

He said the new business is producing three-ply toilet paper locally and also referred to plans for a larger toilet paper manufacturing operation expected to become operational next year.

Browne further pointed to a brewery being developed by Antigua Distillery as another sign of expanding local manufacturing.

“So in manufacturing, we’re seeing some improvements,” he said.

The prime minister’s latest proposal would seek to lower one of the barriers to entering small-scale manufacturing by allowing the entrepreneurship fund to potentially acquire machinery directly for local business operators.

The concept, as outlined by Browne, remains at the planning stage. He did not announce a specific allocation for purchasing equipment or a timetable for launching such an initiative.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Entrepreneurship Fund told to Buy Small-Scale Manufacturing and Food-Processing Equipment.