Grant for small businesses is a 'jump start' - Karia J. Christopher
She was at time addressing persons at a simple presentation ceremony on January 18, 2018 at the Department of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs, where three businesses were presented cheques with undisclosed amounts of monies to aid them in their recovery after suffering destruction during the last hurricane season.
Under the $1.5M loan guarantee and grant support programme for businesses, some $250,000 has already been disbursed.
Among those present at the ceremony were Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) and Junior Minister for Trade and Investment Promotions, Honourable Marlon A. Penn (R8).
The recipients were the owners of VI Airlink, the territory's lone home grown air carrier company, prominent farmer Ms Moviene F. Fahie and Kadeem Hodge, owner of the butcher shop 'Hodges Chophouse'.
More businesses encouraged to apply for grants
According to Mrs Christopher, "We know that in whatever we do we will get some criticism, and we are able to receive that as well, as we can and look to see how we can improve ourselves."
She said the department has tried it's best to make the opportunity (grant/donation) available to every business operating and trading legally in the territory. "So this is an opportunity for those persons that are on the ground to come into the department, because that is what our purpose is [but] we must be a legal trader within the British Virgin Islands to be able to get some of the benefits."
The aid is given under the cap "Financial assistance recovery programme".
"I have been saying this for as long as I have been in this job, small businesses are the heartbeat of the economy and we know that many of our small businesses had a hard hit and the Premier and Honourable Marlon Penn endorsed this.
According to Mrs Christopher, in the near future the department intends to roll out some "exciting stuff" for the betterment of the territory's small businesses."
Premier Smith said his government recognised that businesses suffered greatly by the hurricanes "and so recognising the importance again of the small businesses in the development of the economy we thought it was important to give some donation to help in the rebuilding."
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17 Responses to “Grant for small businesses is a 'jump start' - Karia J. Christopher”
Same Ms F**** who curse the Government every chance she get and to every fly that set. Wow!!
Everything for them is show and tell