Chamber wins DCI workshop contract
Chamber of Commerce CEO Wil Pineau (left) and Tamara Ebanks, Deputy Chief Officer at Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment
(CNS Business): The Chamber of Commerce will be taking over the small business workshops that were being provided by the DCI, government officials have revealed almost a month after the contract was awarded following a tendering process. Government has not said how much it is worth or who else bid but the deal will now see the Chamber start interactive sessions in October, which will be facilitated by its members. The commerce minister said that outsourcing the workshops would allow the DCI to focus on licensing and regulation of local commerce.
“Government is committed to the support of small businesses and given their dominance in our economy, their success translates to growth in our economy, expanded job creation and support for our middle class,” said Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton. “The continuation of small business workshops will greatly assist entrepreneurs by providing them with opportunities to improve their skills in a range of key management areas to promote strength and growth.”
Outsourcing the workshops is part of government’s plan to help small business, which includes the recently announced extension of incentives for micro and small business owners for another year. Officials also pointed to other steps which were meant to help lower the cost of doing business here, such as the cut in import duty for licensed traders from 22% down to 20% in 2014, a reduction of 25 cents per gallon, in fuel duty for CUC’s pass through of fuel cost in January of this year and the further reduction, by another 25 cents, for an aggregate of 50 cents reduction in fuel duty per gallon to be in place in January.
Chamber CEO Wil Pineau said the 90-minute, free workshops will take place monthly. Sessions will focus on a number of areas that affect small businesses, such as regulatory matters, marketing, social media, banking and finance, business planning, human resources, debt collection and management.
“The Chamber is pleased to have been awarded the contract to deliver free workshops that will benefit micro and small businesses in the Cayman Islands,” Pineau said. “The workshops are intended to improve small businesses by providing them with useful information and guidance on key topics. We look forward to working in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce in the months ahead,” he added.
Category: Local Business, Small Business
