1. The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Fund was started by business and is driven through the CEO initiative as a show of solidarity and contribution towards growing the economy in a manner that creates more business and work opportunities for the people of South Africa. Government fully supports the initiative. While no “new money” is allocated to this initiative in the 2017 budget, Government is assessing the most appropriate vehicle and means through which to support SMME development, given the fiscally constrained environment.
2. As and when a decision has been made in this regard, government will then follow its process to set aside additional resources to further support SMMEs and announcements will then be made in either the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement or the Budget.