The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) hosted the 5th consultative meeting of its Small and Medium Enterprises Committee.
The meeting focused on the challenges and obstacles facing SMEs, especially financing, providing incentives for Bahraini establishments regarding importation, exportation and participation in tenders, reducing waiting time for getting loans and exemption from labour market fees.
Representatives of SMEs, the Centre for the Support of SMEs, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Bahrain Development Bank, and the Family Bank attended the meeting and answered SMEs’ owners’ queries.
Head of the BCCI’s SMEs’ Committee Khalaf Al-Hujjair reiterated that the panel’s commitment to supporting such a vital sector (SMEs) representing 95% of commercial activities in the Kingdom, adding that the successive meetings have yielded positive results with a number of relevant sides responding positively to the requirements of SMEs.
He added that the meeting aimed to explore challenges and discuss them with the concerned sides in order to boost the sector.
On his part, Acting BCCI’s CEO Nabeel Al-Mahmoud told BNA that consultation meetings provided opportunities for SMEs’ owners to discuss ways of overcoming the challenges facing them and be informed about the banking facilities available for them.