A new partnership between Thulo.Com, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) will help 1,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Nepal to digitize their operations, including at least 60 percent women-owned businesses.
According to a statement issued by the SDC, the partnership will help MSMEs digitize payments, delivery, and post-sales services in rural areas in Nepal, boosting their sales and helping them recover from the effects of the pandemic.
“Switzerland is committed to supporting Nepali MSMEs to make them resilient towards external shocks. Through this partnership, SDC aims to leverage the digital solutions and support MSMEs to gain access to the markets and networks, digitize their transactions, and eventually make way to access new sources of capital,” the statement quotes Elisabeth von Capeller, Ambassador of Switzerland to Nepal as saying.
This UNCDF project on leveraging digital solutions for MSMEs is embedded into UNCDF Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era Strategy for Nepal, launched in 2021. In addition to engaging with Thulo, UNCDF will also be working with Nepal’s MSME federations and associations, as well as, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Business Association of Home-Based Workers (SABAH) Nepal.