Small Business in Developing Countries Under the Spotlight

Ms Katrina Makuch with Economics students.

Building and supporting small business enterprises in volatile developing countries was the thrust of a lecture titled: “Foreign Finance, Investment, and Aid” delivered by Development Economist Ms Katrina Makuch at the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance.

Makuch is an international development professional with overseas experience in economic growth, microenterprise development, monitoring and evaluation in Afghanistan, Cambodia, DR Congo, Indonesia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam, including USAID-funded projects.

The lecture discussed issues of building and supporting small business enterprises in volatile developing countries and helping create stabilisation and employment while addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

‘The lecture was intended to engage reflective thought on the crossroads of politics, development, conflict and foreign aid,’ said Makuch. Present day examples, both global and specific to sub-Saharan Africa, were designed to give context to the theoretical concepts of the broader economic development course.’

School of Accounting, Economics and Finance Lecturer Dr Gerry Bokana said the lecture highlighted the fact that “Foreign Finance, Investment and Aid are crucial and essential ingredients in the development process of developing countries.

‘Ms Katrina Makuch provided students with real-world practical knowledge and experience which supplemented conventional teaching and reinforced knowledge on development economics topics and discourse that were previously covered only by means of classroom lectures and prescribed textbook materials,’ he said.

Economics student, Mr Josh Kwibuka, said the talk had been educational on issues of economic development.

‘I gained insight to the extent to which developed countries intervene in helping alleviate poverty through humanitarian aid and foreign investment among other aid measures,’ he said.