MBABANE: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade on Tuesday convened a stakeholder seminar on regulations developed under the Citizen Economic Empowerment Act, No. 18 of 2023.
The meeting brought together representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, financial institutions and citizen owned businesses to discuss the implementation of the regulations and how they can create economic opportunities for emaSwati.
Principal Secretary Ambassador Melusi M. Masuku said the regulations were an important instrument for increasing citizen participation across the economy, particularly among women, young people, persons with disabilities and micro, small and medium enterprises. 
He said effective implementation would require coordinated action, reliable institutional support and practical measures that allow citizens to participate meaningfully in different sectors.
The regulations provide for reserved trades, preferential procurement, prioritised payments for MSMEs and the allocation of 50 percent of annual procurement to citizen owned companies.
The measures are intended to create a more inclusive business environment, widen access to markets and finance, and build the capacity of citizen owned enterprises to compete and grow.
Stakeholders also discussed the need for public awareness, compliance, monitoring and accountability to ensure the regulations deliver their intended results.
They noted that public and private institutions must understand their responsibilities and implement the measures in a transparent, fair and accessible manner.
The Chairperson of the Citizen Economic Empowerment Council said the council had a responsibility to provide oversight, promote accountability and support effective implementation of the regulations.
“empowerment is not charity; it is justice,” said the Chairperson.
The Chairperson called for continued cooperation among stakeholders to remove barriers facing citizens and ensure empowerment programmes produce measurable results.
