Businesses run by expatriates will be given equal treatment with those owned by Bahrainis, said a senior official of Tamkeen, Bahrain’s labour fund.

They will now be considered on a par with locally-owned companies and given access to the same facilities, added customer engagement and support senior manager Yousif Ali.

"We are there to help everyone, be it Bahraini businesses or those owned by expatriates," he said during a seminar at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

The event, organised by the Bahrain Asian Traders Committee (BATC), was held to explain the fresh directives issued by Tamkeen chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa.

"All of Tamkeen's initiatives, including training and financing, as well as other support activities that will help expand their businesses as well as training of their manpower, are now available to expatriates," said Ali.

"We hope this initiative will make the Asian communities more and more integrated into the mainstream of Bahrain's economy."

BATC chairman Othman Sharif said the initiative, along with many others, confirmed the BCCI and Tamkeen's commitment to businesses in Bahrain and ensured support was being provided to enable growth, stability and prosperity.

"Many questions and requests had been coming in from foreign-owned businesses to introduce and familiarise themselves with Tamkeen's programmes and projects which aim to enable the private sector and enhance productivity and competitiveness," he said.

Advantage

"We welcome this initiative because it will help the private sector develop productivity and growth, including human resource development through the support of Bahrainis to become the employees of choice, and support job creation in the sector."

BATC vice-chairman Bhagwan Asarpota said now the initiatives had been announced, Asian-owned businesses should take advantage of them.

"The onus is on us to make it happen. We had been demanding for a long time that we be considered on a par with our Bahraini colleagues so we should now step up our plans."

Asarpota said BATC was looking forward to other Tamkeen initiatives expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

BATC was established in 1994 within the framework of BCCI to develop trade and encourage investments between the Asian countries and Bahrain.

It is involved in the formulation of strategies and programmes to upgrade economic conditions and trade in Bahrain through co-operation and co-ordination with authorities. – TradeArabia News Service