EFFICIENCY OF MICRO-FINANCE IN GRADUATES’

EMPLOYMENT PROJECTS (A CASE STUDY OF BUSINESS INCUBATOR IN SUDAN UNIVERSITY OF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (SUST) 2010 – 2013)

ByDr. Qasim Elfaki Ali Jadallah

Associate ProfessorSudan University of Science and Technology

College of Business Studies (SUST) Department of Economics

March 2014

Introduction: Sudan, like other underdeveloped

countries, faces many economic difficulties and challenges that manifested themselves collectively in the form of high rate of inflation with consequences of high percentages of unemployment not only in terms of comparison with the available jobs, but also in terms of the increasing number of job-seekers and those who are capable and ready to work, specially, the increasing number of the graduates every year. It is important to mention here that , The number of the graduates in 1945 was only 31 graduates while in 2012 increased to more than 150000 graduates

Problem:

The problem which this paper attempts to focus on, is the rapid increase of the numbers of graduates and job-seekers in a situation where there is a shortage in job vacancies due to the absence of the policy that helps in widening the economic vessels in both the private and public sectors to such an extent that enables them to accommodate the increasing numbers of the graduates.

Objectives

1- Evaluating the extent of the efficiency of micro-financing of graduates’ employment projects with specific reference to the experiment of business incubators of Sudan University of Science and Technology.

2- Forwarding recommendations to eradicate the problems facing the micro-finance of the graduates’ employment projects.

Hypotheses:

The complications in the procedures of obtaining the micro-finance and the concentration of banks on recovering the borrowed money in addition to the prescribe profits have weakened the opportunities to utilize the money allotted compared to the money actually borrowed.

Methodology:

The paper followed the deductive method to encompass the vagueness of facts so as to draw inferences supported it with the available qualitative and quantitative indicators.

Advantages of Incubators : Incubators aim at providing support for the society

through the following: Increasing the number of the projects and thus

reviving the economy and developing it. Increasing job opportunities and thus decreasing the

unemployment rate which is considered as a great concern for most of the countries all over the world.

Encouraging local industries and sustainable economic development.

Increasing the gross income rate in the local society.

Supporting and encouraging the projects which the local market needs in addition to specifying the suitable location to establish the projects.

Encouraging groups or individuals who possess sufficient expertise to establish business projects till they become productive groups and individuals.

Coordinating the researches and studies conducted by universities and scientific researches centers.

Confronting the economic and social effects that result from the implementation of privatization policy.

Disseminating and developing the concept of private projects amongst the groups who have limited expertise.

Directing businessmen towards high technology projects and projects which aim at protecting the environment.

Supporting cooperative efforts amongst business sector, universities, scientific research centers, government authorities and commercial chambers so as to uplift the local society.

Objectives of the Incubators In SUST : Promoting the culture of leadership, innovation,

creativity and developing skills of free business. Providing projects that achieve the principle of social

development. Providing services to financial agencies, etc such as

researches, knowledge, training and supervision. Qualifying and training the graduates.

Converting researches to real projects that serve the society.

Creating job opportunities to employ the graduates. Providing the infrastructure in the form of industries

that nourish the major projects which are already established.

Providing vigorous projects to the society in future which are capable of continuation and development.

Converting the unemployed work-force in the society into an economic power and also providing jobs to non-graduates and artisans.

Administrative Structure

Conditions for Applying to the Incubator Project:

The Applicant should be a Sudanese graduate. The Applicant should be a graduate of SUST, in the

Veterinary Medicine and Animal and Agricultural Production Colleges.

The Applicant should not be working at any public or private sector.

The Applicant should have the spirit of group work.

The findings and Recommendations:The findings: Business incubator contributed to the employment of a

significant number of unemployed people (100, out of which 71 were graduates).

Business incubator contributed in providing a significant amount of production to the local market in the form of chicken (761,882 Tons).

The incubator helped the graduates by training and disseminating the culture of business amongst them.

The microfinance is a digital directive from the Central bank (12%) from the financial portfolio in bank and in turn it has been translated and converted into cash figures saved in the treasuries of these establishments and they have not been effectively used to realize the objectives of tackling the complications and satisfying the urgent needs of the poor and needy people and this was confirmed by the criticism which was labeled by some of government officials.

The required guarantees and the profit margin which ranges between 9-12% are parts of the main obstacles that affect the efficiency of microfinance.

There are examples of success in the individual projects (Business Incubator in the SUST) and many microfinance projects. This confirms that the hindrances in the way of spreading the microfinance and utilizing it at society level are related to the banks and their policies and not to the individuals or groups nor to their non-feasibility or inefficiency of their proposed or implemented projects.

Recommendations: Centralizing the microfinance in a single bank

specialized in microfinance activities with clear policy that concentrates on future gains profits for the society and not on the immediate profits of banks by means of providing finance and reaping profits from them.

Establishing a shareholder company that works upon marketing the products of business incubators so as to distance the speculations and brokers in order to reduce the burden of livelihood upon the citizens by means of selling the products directly to the public at reasonable and acceptable prices.

Reducing the profits margin of the banks in the microfinance to a rate of 1 or less than 1% instead of 9-12% in order to achieve the goal of distributing these benefits amongst all the needy sectors of the society, particularly, the graduates and realizing the justice in the distribution of the wealth and income and decreasing the severity of poverty in the society to assure that the wealth should not be a circular amongst the riches only.

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Expanding the concept of business incubators in different fields by means of establishing a comprehensive complex of business incubators and small business so as to satisfy the ambitions of those who want to work, particularly, the graduates and also provide several products that cover the needs of the society.

Thanks a lot Z خيرا الله وجزاكم