Tamkeen stresses on support of private sector

TDT | Manama

The Board of Directors of the Labour Fund Tamkeen reviewed yesterday the proposal of the Business Continuity Support Programme, which Tamkeen is providing as part of its ongoing national efforts to combat the repercussions of the coronavirus and the impact it has caused on economic levels.

This is in accordance with the Royal Directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. During a meeting, Tamkeen’s Board of Directors chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa stressed the importance of providing the necessary support to the private sector to help it deal with the economic challenges, especially with the current situation.

A special programme has been designed and catered towards the private sector’s needs, based on the Royal Directives of His Majesty the King and the government’s announcement, as part of its stimulus package for the economy, to redirect all of Tamkeen’s programmes to support the adversely affected companies.

Tamkeen Chief Executive Dr Ebrahim Mohamed Janahi pointed out that Tamkeen has already started activating its virtual and voice platforms. “Tamkeen’s virtual and voice channel directly addresses the requirements of the current needs of our customers, ensuring continuous communication with them in an optimal way,” said Dr Janahi.

“It also informs them of the latest developments regarding the Business Continuity Support Programme, which open applications will soon be officially announced through Tamkeen’s portal.”

The Programme aims to target private sector enterprises and provide them with the necessary support at this stage, based on the economic repercussions caused by the global spread of COVID-19.

The meeting also reviewed and approved a study of Tamkeen’s programmes that aims to effectively contribute towards solving the most prominent challenges that the private sector faces, especially when it comes to employment.

The Board of Directors approved the Fund’s operational plan for 2019 to be published in the official gazette, while looking at the operational plan for 2020 and a proposal for amendments that were suggested for Tamkeen’s basic programmes to meet the changes and needs of the current labour market.