Tamkeen plan to help Bahrain jewellers
Manama, February 10, 2012
Tamkeen, Bahrain’s labour fund, has drawn up a rescue plan to help save Bahrain's ailing jewellery industry.
Tamkeen has pledged financial aid of up to BD10,000 ($26,525) to businesses which have suffered losses as a result of the unrest, depending on their size.
The initiative follows a meeting between the government body and around 150 jewellers at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).
"Tamkeen has also said they will help with the traders' rents according to their standards," said BCCI gold and pearl jewellery committee head Mohammed Sajid Shaikh.
"We are very grateful they have intervened and we look forward to their support."
Tamkeen customer engagement support senior manager Yousif Ali shed light on the various Tamkeen enterprise support programmes available and how jewellers could benefit from them.
"Direct involvement with customers and stakeholders is an integral part of our programme formulation process to address current and future private sector needs," he said.
Almost a third of the 90 shops at the old Gold Suq had been forced out of business since last February, a report said. – TradeArabia News Service