The Tribune

THE Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) partnered with the Department of Inland Revenue and other government agencies to host a ‘Business License’ training workshop.

Under the new ‘Easier, Faster, Better - Ease of Doing Business Initiative’ spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance, the workshop targeted small and medium-sized entrepreneurs - particularly those involved in “creative, cultural or artistic-based businesses”.

Attendees included ‘Tru Tru Bahamian’ entrepreneurs; cultural leaders such Pam Burnside of Creative Nassau; and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The workshop began with a candid address byMarlon Johnson, financial secretary at the Ministry of Finance, who said he took “full responsibility” for the Bahamas’ low ranking in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index.

He emphasized his commitment to bring to implement the reforms necessary to allow Bahamians to spend more of their time and effort on developing businesses, as opposed to onerous processes and procedures.

“We were most pleased to have Mr Johnson attend the recent Local Sourcing Development Committee meeting,” said Suzanne Pattusch, BHTA executive vice-president. “At the meeting it became evident there were still some questions surrounding the newly-streamlined Business License application process.

“The financial secretary and his formidable team immediately agreed to host the training and workshop session. We were most grateful for the opportunity to help educate people about the positive changes made to the application process, to help entrepreneurs attain a Business License and thus have access to benefits provided by key legislation such as the Ministry of Financial Services’ Industries Encouragement Act.”

Other agencies present at the seminar included the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration; the National Insurance Board (NIB); Department of Physical Planning, and Environmental Health. The BHTA last year spearheaded a Local Sourcing Development Committee, co-chaired by Brent Symonette, minister of financial services, trade and industry and Immigration, and Carlton Russell, BHTA president, to promote local sourcing and further diversify the Bahamian economy.

The committee features a group of public-private sector representatives, including established Bahamian entrepreneurs, representatives from the Ministry of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism, BAIC, Chamber of Commerce, Trade Portal and Creative Nassau.