New Call Centre to Serve Tamkeen's Enterprise Development Support Programme

Centre expected to enhance customer service by up to 90%

Manama, Bahrain - 14^th August, 2011: As part of its ongoing support of Bahrain's private sector, Tamkeen launched a dedicated call centre to serve customers of the Enterprise Development Support Programme. The centre went live as of August 14^th.

The call centre will be equipped with a modern automated answering machine to manage and direct call flow, as well as a fully-dedicated customer service team to answer all customer queries. It is expected that these upgrades will improve call flow by up to 90%.

Tamkeen's Enterprise Development Support Agency's number (17 565393) remains unchanged, with working hours from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm during Ramadan and normal working hours (7:30 am - 3:30 pm) resuming thereafter.

This step comes in response to the uptake in demand from business owners since a number of updates and enhancements to the programme went into effect recently. In June alone, Tamkeen received nearly 1500 calls (an average 50 per day), which necessitated the establishment of a dedicated call centre to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

The updates to the Enterprise Development Support Programme encompass all schemes under its umbrella (Istishara, Techania, Tasweeq, Tarweej, and Jawda), and came as a result of Tamkeen's efforts to improve the performance of private sector enterprises in Bahrain, in line with the goals of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

Business owners can also visit Tamkeen's Enterprise Development Support Agency office at Meral Building, Seef District, or send their query to (edsa@tamkeen.bh). They can also follow the latest news and updates about the various programmes through Facebook (facebook.com/tamkeenbahrain) and Twitter (twitter.com/tamkeenbahrain) pages.

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About Tamkeen:
Tamkeen (Labour Fund) is an independent authority which formulates strategic and operational plans to use the fees collected by the LMRA in order to enhance the overall prosperity of Bahrain by investing in Bahraini employability, job creation, and social support. Tamkeen aims to be the enabler and driver in promoting business growth and offering rewarding employment opportunities in order to attain prosperous living for Bahrainis. This will be achieved through investing in human capital, enabling enterprise growth and development, and collaborating with key policy makers and partners from the public and private sector.

The Tamkeen Enterprise Development Support Programme was conceived to stimulate the growth of Bahrain's private sector. The Programme provides co-financing to business owners, integrated with consultancy and technical assistance, aiming to improve the productivity and efficiency of Bahrain's enterprises.

The Enterprise Development Support Programme is a set of professional tools designed to benefit those looking to create positive change and improve their businesses, putting enterprises on the fast-track towards a productive and prosperous future.

KPMG Fakhro has been appointed as the agency for the new phase of the Enterprise Development Support Programme. Established in 1968, KPMG Fakhro has extensive local experience combined with first rate international skills, making it the ideal partner to help fuel the growth of Bahrain's business community in line with Bahrain's Vision 2030.

Call 17 565393 or write to edsa@tamkeen.bh for more information. Follow the latest news and updates through Facebook (facebook.com/tamkeenbahrain) and Twitter (twitter.com/tamkeenbahrain) pages.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Imane Alalaiwat
Hill and Knowlton
Phone: +973 17533532
Fax: +973 17533370
imane.alalaiwat@hillandknowlton.com