155 Region 6 entrepreneurs receive small business grants

The Government, through the Small Business Bureau of the Tourism Ministry on Friday distributed business grants to 155 entrepreneurs from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)
The distribution, which took place at the Belvedere Business Centre, was is an effort to provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs with small establishments or start-up businesses.
The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry is currently on a countrywide distribution exercise to persons with the long-term aim of boosting the economy as those businesses grow.
The 155 distributions on Friday brings the total to 222 in Region Six, which in effect is $46M.
Region Six Chairman David Armogan at the distribution exercise said that many of the entrepreneurs would have applied for the grants in 2022. However, because it is a national exercise, the process might take longer than some entrepreneurs may have expected. He added that the persons being targeted are small businesses and those who are about to start up a business. Many of the applications were made under poultry, grocery, processing and other areas of businesses.
Additionally, Armogan said the aim is to have existing small businesses grow, as one of the aims of the Government is to empower the private sector so it can be an integral part of the country’s development.
“All these people who are interested in getting into business, at some point they will grow and they will employ people as well so it increases the income of the region and ensures that people have more spending power,” he said.
Earlier this week, 398 entrepreneurs from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) were given similar grants in a similar exercise which took place at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal.
Public Relations Officer of the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry, Cordell McClure said the team will be moving to every region. Next week they will be in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
He pointed out that the bulk of the grants are being distributed in Regions Three, Four, and Six, which are the regions with the largest populations.
Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), McClure said, is also one of the regions which has benefitted significantly from the small business grant distribution, adding that the time for processing each application varies and depends on how ready the applicant is at the time of applying.
“What happens is that when someone applies, in many cases they do not have all of the requirements like compliance and so forth, those who have everything in order are likely to go through a lot faster and then there is a process which is a transparent process for the small business grant. First, one has to register with the Bureau, you apply for the grant – some people register and they don’t register and they assume that they would have already applied, and then it goes through a grant committee,” he explained.

Properly spent
Meanwhile, addressing the recipients on Friday, the Regional Chairman noted that some of the young entrepreneurs did not utilise the monies for the intended purpose. He urged that the grant be properly spent and also in a way which can bring them long-term benefits.
Meanwhile, McClure said the Ministry has mechanisms in place to monitor businesses which would have received the grants.
“This grant is not just a handout. The objective of it is to help businesses to grow and expand and employ people so we put a lot of effort in follow up to ensure that these monies are being put into the use that was intended,” McClure said, noting through the Ministry’s robust follow up, monitoring and evaluating system most of the cash grants have been put into good use and have been helping businesses to grow.
“What we want to see is businesses gravitate from the grant to the loan guarantee programme which offers a lot more capital and much greater opportunities for expansion,” McClure added.
One of the recipients, Bebi Seedat, who operates a small business from her home which is in close proximity to a school in East Canje, said she was happy to have received the grant.
“… I will improve my business. I sell snacks,” she said.
Elizith Yorrick of Brighton Village, Corentyne, said she too was happy, noting that for some time now she has been trying to expand her snackette but it has been an ongoing struggle.
“I have been doing it for a while but in a very small way. I am happy that I got the call to come and receive the cash grant and I will make good use of it,” she said.
Apart from the grants offered to entrepreneurs, the Small Business Bureau also offers several training programmes to provide these individuals with opportunities to flourish and develop the economy.
Armogan encouraged persons to utilise the facilities at the Belvedere Business Centre, which is ideal for those with processing establishments.
“So persons who are involved in agricultural produce like pepper and they want to make pepper sauce, they can come here and process their pepper into sauce. They can do other things as well. I have seen some people who are investing in honey production have come here to do bottling…”
Meanwhile, the Ministry intends to continue the grants offered to entrepreneurs through the Small Business Bureau in 2024.