Join hands for growth

Manama : One of the priorities of Bahrain is to encourage young Bahraini entrepreneurs and help small businesses grow, said Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani.

“We want to encourage and nurture business leaders. So instead of having to look for jobs they will provide jobs to others. We also want to give opportunities for small companies and help them become successful,” Al Zayani said. The Minister was speaking in a forum titled “The business environment of Bahrain” on the Bait Altijjar premises in Sanabis yesterday. The meeting broached ways to boost the partnership between private and public sector. Ministers, government officials and Bahrain’s business community attended the discussion.

It was organised by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) businesswomen committee, headed by board member Afnan Al Zayani, in cooperation with the public affairs committee, headed by board member Shaikha Hind bint Salman Al Khalifa.

Commenting on the tourism sector, Al Zayani said: “Tourism has developed very rapidly last year and we have a plan to improve it even further. We are keen to improve by increasing the number of tourists to Bahrain as well as their length of stay here. We are also launching offices in many countries to promote tourism.” 

In his address, Minister of Labour and Social Development Jameel Humaidan announced that in two weeks, the ministry will reveal a new comprehensive plan to tackle the free visa issue. Speaking about the job market, Humaidan remarked, “Data of the number of jobs in the country is one of the main indicators of how well the economy is doing and that is looking good.” “We are not ignoring any segments of the society, we want everyone to participate in the growth of the economy.” 

Meanwhile, Afnan Al Zayani said, “Bahrain has accomplished a number of projects through the joint efforts of the public and private sector. According to HRH Crown Prince, Tamkeen spent close to BD800 million since it was set up to support 35,000 corporation and 95,000 individuals. The source of fund for Tamkeen is the fees collected from the private sector. It shows genuine public-private ties,” she added.