MANAMA: More countries are accepting the Bahrain Model for
entrepreneurship development, it was revealed yesterday. Industry and
Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro yesterday presented certificates to
five business counsellors from Sierra Leone, who completed a weeklong
training in Bahrain.
The programme was conducted by the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (Unido), through the Arab Regional Centre for
Entrepreneurship & Investment Training (Arceit), under the
patronage of Dr Fakhro and with the support of the Bahrain Development
Bank (BDB).
"Based on its success and achievements, the Bahrain Model has been
replicated and institutionalised in various countries, including Sierra
Leone, through the support of regional and international
organisations," said Dr Fakhro.
Small enterprises form a dynamic and vibrant sector of the economy, he said.
"This sector accounts for a substantial part of the industrial
output besides contributing significantly to employment generation in
most countries," he added.
"Entrepreneurship is about self reliance and risk taking while starting a new venture.
"Trained business counsellors can be of immense help to enterprises
by assisting in the formulation of pragmatic business plans and
analysing the enterprise performance thus playing an important role in
the process of enterprise growth."
The Bahrain government, with the help of Unido. established Arceit in Bahrain in 2001, said Dr Fakhro.
"Arceit has initiated and developed a unique model for enterprise
development, known today as the Bahrain Model for Enterprise
Development," he said. "BDB has been closely associated with this
initiative and the programme has grown by leaps and bounds in the last
few years.
"Unido at its 12th General Conference in Vienna in December 2007
acknowledged that the Bahrain Model is the 'Unido approach for
Investment & Technology Promotion' something we are most proud of."
Unido Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) head Dr
Hashim Hussain said 140 business counsellors from 21 countries have
already been trained under the programme.
"We have also trained 200 people under the Train the Trainers
project. Among those graduated are 20 business counsellors and 25
trainers from Bahrain," he added.
"Our training of counsellors from Sierra Leone complements an Agfund
(Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations)
project to set up a $5 million Micro Finance Bank there."
The attendance of representatives from the Sierra Leone Investment
and Export Promotion Agency and their involvement in the implementation
of the Bahrain-Arab Model is a clear message from the public sector
towards the development of the private sector , said Dr Hussain.
He said the project would be launched in countries like China, Syria and Lebanon shortly
MANAMA: More countries are accepting the Bahrain Model for
entrepreneurship development, it was revealed yesterday. Industry and
Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro yesterday presented certificates to
five business counsellors from Sierra Leone, who completed a weeklong
training in Bahrain.
