In line with its efforts to engage directly with the public

Manama, Bahrain - Sunday, October 6, 2013:

Tamkeen hosted today the third consultation workshop at the Crowne Plaza hotel, as part of its efforts to directly engage with the public. Through the workshops, Tamkeen aims to share its current and planned projects, as well as listening to the public's feedback and integrating it within future plans.

The workshop is part of a series of workshops held over 4 days with representatives from the various economic sectors in Bahrain, with two days allocated to business owners and two days to individuals.

Each day of workshops involves in-depth discussions over the issues and challenges faced by each sector, followed by recommended solutions to overcome those challenges and how to develop Tamkeen's programmes and services accordingly.

Among the main general issues highlighted by the audience was the business regulatory framework, lack of accurate data for businesses and individuals about the needed specialisations and personal skills within the market, scarcity of agricultural lands and undeveloped agricultural methods, shortage of skills qualified national labour in certain sectors, as well as retention of Bahraini employees. The Tamkeen-related issues revolved mainly around speed of application and approval processes.

With regards to solutions, the audience stressed the need to further simplify and streamline the processes and internal operations within Tamkeen's support programmes, as well as providing online application and tracking facilities. They also recommended intensifying community outreach efforts to ensure everyone knows about Tamkeen's programmes and their benefits, customising these programmes to match the unique requirements of each sector, as well as lending more support to new entrepreneurs.

Representatives of the sectors also suggested creating more training initiatives such farmers training programmes to promote modern agricultural technologies, as well as technical training and human resource management training programmes.

The fourth and final workshop will be held on Monday (October 7), which will be the second day of workshops allocated to individuals. A separate event is planned before the end of the year to present the 2014 operational plan to the public after its approval from Tamkeen's Board of Directors.

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About Tamkeen
Tamkeen is an initiative funded by the private sector for the private sector, tasked with developing Bahrain's private sector and positioning it as the key driver of economic development. Established in August 2006, Tamkeen is one of the cornerstones of Bahrain's national reform initiatives and Bahrain Economic Vision.

Tamkeen has two primary objectives: Firstly, fostering the creation and development of enterprises, and secondly, providing support to enhance the productivity and growth of enterprises and individuals.

Under each of those objectives, certain mechanisms and innovative support initiatives have been put in place by Tamkeen to address current and future gaps for individuals and enterprises in the private sector that have been identified by thorough studies of the labour market landscape.

For Bahrainis, Tamkeen's programmes range from developing the skills and capabilities of Bahrain's human capital, to promoting sound workplace ethics and training on leadership and management best practices, among others. For enterprises, Tamkeen provides programmes which offer enterprises with subsidised business support services, facilitate access to financing to bridge the enterprise financing gap, and enable entrepreneurship, to name a few.

Tamkeen's programmes have benefited 98,000 Bahrainis and enterprises in the private sector as of end of August, and more than 150,000 beneficiaries are expected to benefit from these support programmes.

In parallel, Tamkeen's programmes have played a key role in institutionalising new concepts within Bahrain's private sector, including SME and micro-financing, entrepreneurship as a viable career path, women empowerment, modern accounting and auditing systems within SMEs, and many other paradigms needed for a vibrant sustainable private sector.

Tamkeen's funds come from 50% of the fees collected from the Labour Market Regulatory Authority.

© Press Release 2013