Micro-businesses on the rise

Minister Denis Kellman and president of the Bush Hall Institute For Action And Research, Hallam Springer, admiring the exhibit. (Sandy Pitt)

Sun, August 19, 2012 - 12:02 AM

NOT ONLY ARE micro-enterprises providing employment but Government is currently in a good position in terms of collecting fees from those renting Barbados Investment & Development Corporation units.

This is the view of Minister of Small Business and Rural Development Denis Kellman, who told those gathered at yesterday’s open day for the Bush Hall Institute For Action And Research that there was a growing demand to start micro and small business enterprises, as could be seen in the large number of applications for funding by the national micro-enterprise programme.

“This initiative provides small injections of capital, and since its introduction in 2009, grant funding has been approved for 446 micro-businesses in the amount of $1.8 million,” he said.

“A review of it in the last financial year revealed that $380 318 was approved for disbursement to 129 micro-businesses. The 129 businesses provided employment for 228 persons, of which 101 were employed full-time,” he added.

In terms of fees owed to Government by some small entrepreneurs, Kellman told the SUNDAY SUN that as a result of Government’s policy, it was “now in a better position in terms of collection than when things were supposed to be good”.

“If you are stressing a man and sending threats to put him out and lock him up, it’s obvious that man is going to have a built-up resistance to you. He’s then going to start thinking about himself and not his obligations.”

Parliamentary representative for the area, Mia Mottley, lauded the Bush Hall Institute For Action And Research, noting that community facilities like this gave people another chance. (RJ)