The ŽIG Women's Business project is a strong incentive to empower women's entrepreneurship, which will enable the clients of the Investment and Development Fund (IRF) to have easier access to the financial support provided, said its executive director, Nikola Tripković.
On behalf of the IRF, he signed the Cooperation Agreement on the ŽIG Women's Business project with the head of the Secretariat for Competitiveness, Marija Šuković.
The project involves awarding the ŽIGA Women's Business, in accordance with international criteria, to companies owned by women, managed or controlled by women and which are independent.
The agreement defined the areas of cooperation that should contribute to the recognition of "real women's companies" for the sake of easier access to financing, and with the aim of improving women's business activities and gender equality in general.
"In the coming period, IRF, as a key development financial institution in Montenegro, will continue to support all initiatives aimed at strengthening women's potential, creativity and entrepreneurship. In the ŽIG Women's Business project, we recognized the possibility of making it easier for our clients to access the financial support we provide," said Tripković.
He said that companies that are holders of ŽIGA Women's Business will not be asked for additional documentation or an additional check will be made to determine the ownership or management function of women when applying for credit lines intended to support women's entrepreneurship offered by IRF.
Šuković announced that the goal of the project is proper targeting and recognition of "women's businesses", that women have not only a formal and legal ownership function, but also an essential - management function, and easier access to financial and non-financial incentives.
"Through the ŽIG Women's Business project, state and private institutions will be provided with a system for recognizing women's businesses when granting financial and non-financial support intended for women, so it is extremely important that the IRF is one of the signatories of the Agreement," Šuković announced.
As part of the project activities, it is also planned to create a public register of companies that meet the criteria from the international document MEST IWA 34 and which will be awarded the Women's Business trademark.
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