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Entrepreneurship for Poverty Reduction
Entrepreneurship for Poverty Reduction
Commonwealth members and institutions have long accepted the role of the private sector in fostering growth and the importance of entrepreneurs and SMEs. ICTs create opportunities for individual entrepreneurs, thus contributing to the creation of wealth and the alleviation of poverty across all segments of society. Restricted access to credit and lack of access to practical advice and mentoring, however, are continuing barriers that hamper entrepreneurship and SME development. Commonwealth organisations with significant private sector participation could act as effective vehicles for encouraging entrepreneurship and for fostering public-private development partnerships for development. These organisations could provide a solid foundation for specific Commonwealth-based entrepreneurship initiatives aimed at the innovative use of ICTs to reduce poverty and promote community development.
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