Page 43 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

A.M.Gebreselassie: The Impact of Economic Integration on SME
Competitiveness in Ethiopia, Tigray

Challenges faced by SMEs

Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Deviation Variance
Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic
There is adequate support
services for the training 95 1 5 2.94 1.270 1.613
provision
There are adequate support
services for workplace 94 1 5 2.61 1.128 1.274
provision
There are adequate support
services in credit /finance 94 1 5 2.45 1.094 1.196
provision
There are adequate support
services for creating market 95 1 5 2.49 1.193 1.423
linkage
SMEs have got all services at 95 1 5 2.59 1.125 1.266
the one-stop service center
There are adequate support
services in the technology 94 1 5 2.47 1.034 1.069
provision
Committed of support SMEs 95 1 5 2.54 1.090 1.187
Procurement of capital goods
is easy 95 1 5 2.59 1.162 1.351
Easily to access information 95 1 5 2.49 1.157 1.338
about market
Easily equation rent/land 92 1 5 2.39 1.109 1.230
Valid N (listwise) 89

There is no significant statistical difference among the mean score of the indicators
listed types of Challenges Faced by SMEs indicators. The whole indicators or their
mean depicts that the respondents are indifferent between disagreeing and undecided
on those issues listed as an indicator. Respondents agreed that except adequate
support services for the training provision(M=2.94, S.D=1.270), all(adequate
support service, access to facilitate credit /finance, established one-stop service
center, technology transfer, the commitment of leaders, procurement of capital
goods, easy access to information about the market, and acquisition of land /rent are
felt below the mean average of 2,85.that is the main challenge of economic
integration for all SMEs in manufacturing subsector. The key informants also agreed
the above-stated problems have been influencing the daily operation of SME
activity. To that extent, the training given to SME operators was not demand-based
and adequate to fill their gap. The provision of land is problematic, the lease price of
the land increases from 0.7 to 300-birr k/meters which is not affordable by SMEs.

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