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GGGI and DTI call up greener performance of micro enterprises

Makati, Philippines, December 13, 2019 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) – in the context of supporting the “Shared Service Facility (SSF)” program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – presented draft green growth performance indicators which are designed to enhance and monitor SSF operations, in a forum titled “DTI-SSF Project Impact Assessment”.

With this initiative, DTI aims to enable SSF Cooperators and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) availing of services under the SSF program to adopt green growth performance indicators such as efficient energy and water consumption, responsible waste treatment, job creation for women and indigenous people, among others, so that DTI can effectively promote green business practices nationwide.

The forum was attended by 67 participants, which included senior trade and industry development specialists from 17 DTI Regional Offices and managers of selected SSF cooperators. GGGI and DTI consulted the participants in order to strengthen and finalize a set of green growth performance indicators and develop an online monitoring and evaluation platform utilizing the indicators.

“This project is designed to take stock of current operations of SSF Cooperators and MSMEs and encourage them to adopt green indicators and business practices, consistent with the sustainable development thrust of the Government and the direction of the DTI’s “Green Breakthrough Goals”, which will ultimately enhance their performance in the future”, said Jerry Clavesillas, Director of the Bureau of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED) of DTI.

The final version of the green performance indicators and online system will be introduced in the first quarter of 2020.

Note:

  • Shared Service Facility (SSF): SSFs are processing centers (i.e. building with equipment) that are available for the collective use of MSMEs in producing their respective products on a user-fee basis. These SSFs are established by Cooperators (i.e. Associations, Cooperatives, Local Government Units, Academic Institutions) with the objective of encouraging more MSMEs to produce their products without having to put up their own investment for building and equipment. To improve the productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs, the DTI initiated the SSF-Program that provides grants to SSFs for machinery, equipment and tools for their common use. As of August 2019, the DTI has supported and partnered with 2,495 SSFs nationwide and provided grants for machinery and equipment in the amount of around US$ 30M.
  • The GGGI and the DTI have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), effective until November 2020, which underscores the promotion of green business practices among MSMEs. The GGGI and the DTI have completed relevant interventions to promote green growth among MSMEs, which include the development and dissemination of a “Business Case Study for Greening MSMEs”, and was followed-up by the actual introduction of green business practices in seven (7) pilot MSMEs. For 2019, the DTI has formulated its “Corporate Green Breakthrough Goals”, which will allow the agency a more practical basis for integrating green growth in their programs. Among these goals is the scaling up of the initial greening MSME intervention by introducing green and inclusive concepts and practices to SSFs and MSMEs nationwide.