Mandate & Functions

Mandate

Arising from the constitutional mandate of the National Government to spearhead policy formulation, mainstream the MSMEs development function ensuring standardization and uniformity, the national government and its agencies shall be responsible for:

1. Formulation, adoption and implementation of policy and legal framework for the development and growth of all co-operatives in keeping with the overall national development policies and priorities
2. Registration and liquidation of co-operative enterprises
3. Establishment of uniform standards of the operations of co-operative enterprises, recognition of county co-operative enterprises, cross-county co-operatives enterprises
4. Develop and maintain inter-governmental relations framework on co-operative enterprises
5. Carry out inquiries, inspections and investigations into the affairs of co-operatives
6. Provide oversight to apex, federations, secondary, and cross-county co-operative enterprises
7. Regulate co-operative audit services including social and value for money audits
8. Promote good governance and ethics on co-operative enterprises
9. Formulate co-operative education, training, standards and regulations
10. Carry out capacity building to the county Governments
11. Promote public private partnership and joint ventures
12. Promote and facilitate regional and international co-operative relations
13. Establish and maintain a data and information center for co-operatives
14. Promote research and development in Co-operatives
15. Review and enforce registration requirements from time to time
16. Promote harmonization and /or linkages between the movement, the National Government and County Governments through periodic forums

Functions

The Ministry for Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development was created under Executive Order No. 1/2016 with the following mandate:

• Co-operative Policy, Standards and Implementation;
• Promotion of Co-operative Ventures;
• Co-operative Production and Marketing;
• Supervision and oversight over Co-operative Societies;
• Co-operative Savings, Credit and other Financial Services Policy;
• Co-operative Legislation and Support Services;
• Co-operative Education and Training;
• Co-operative Audit Services;
• Co-operative Financing Policy;
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Policy;
• Develop SME Financing Policy to facilitate adequate flow of credit from financial institutions;
• Administration of the “Hustler Fund” for the promotion, development and enhancing
• competitiveness of MSMES;
• Capacity development for Entrepreneurship;
• including access to modern management practices;
• Support for technology upgradation and modernization;
• Establishment of integrated infrastructural facilities;
• Promotion and Development of Micro and Small Enterprise and enhance their competitiveness;
• Promote Progressive credit policies and practices targeting MSMEs;
• Business Innovation and Incubation;
• Administer Preference in Government procurements to products and services of the MSMEs;
• Champion subcontracting arrangements between SMEs and Large Enterprises;
• Market development for MSME products and services (better access to domestic and export markets);
• Support for product development, design intervention and packaging;
• Promotion of establishment of Production clusters; and
• Promotion and Development of the Cottage Industry.