Equipment

DTI’s SSF Program

March 25, 2023 People's Tonight 245 views

THE country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a vital role in the national government’s poverty alleviation efforts, creating new jobs for the burgeoning population.

Aware of this, Senator Sonny Angara now wants to expand and institutionalize the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Launched 10 years ago, the highly-successful DTI project ought to benefit more MSMEs across the country, said Senator Angara in sponsoring Senate Bill (SB) No. 761.

The SSF Program was launched in 2013 to provide MSMEs with the machinery, equipment and tools that they need, under a shared system, to boost their productivity.

“Sa sampung taon na pinapatakbo ng DTI ang SSF proiject (ay) napakadami na ang natulungan nito at napakalaki ang ambag sa kapakanan ng lipunan,” according to Senator Angara.

In fact, a staggering P4.3 billion has been allocated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) over the past 10 years for the SSF Program.

Before the Senate adjourned its regular session last Wednesday, Angara delivered his sponsorship speech for the bill, which seeks to amend the Magna Carta for MSMEs.

The proposed legislation also calls for the setting up of more SSF-Fabrication Labs, which will house new computer-aided machines, 3D printers and laser cutters.

With the SSF-Fab Labs, entrepreneurs can test their new products and ideas and develop them until they become market-ready.

In the view of many, including the country’s entrepreneurs, institutionalizing DTI’s Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Program is long overdue.

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