|
Facilitating the revival of businesses and farms in this post-Ivan period is a major priority of the Agency for Reconstruction and Development Inc. (ARD). During his address at the Official Launch of the ARD on Tuesday (March 15), Chief Executive Officer Richardson Andrews announced that the ARD has an Outreach Programme to accelerate the rate at which businesses restart operation. Mr. Andrews told public and private sector representatives, the donor community and non-governmental organisations attending the Official Launch at the ARD headquarters in the Botanical Gardens, that the ARD Economic Recovery Department is working with owners of small and medium businesses to assist them in sourcing grant funding. This work is being done in collaboration with the USAID CARANA Team, Mr. Andrews said. The ARD Outreach Programme, which got underway on March 7, has already conducted one-on-one meetings with 30 small and medium sized businesses in the hotel sub-sector for referrals to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Grenada Business and Agriculture Revitalisation Project (GBAR). ARD Business Reactivation Research Officer, Mr. Donrie Purcell, explained that the Outreach Programme is designed to help business owners and managers with the pre-screening process to access grant funds being provided by the USAID under the GBAR Project. The ARD wants to maximize the benefits to small and medium sized businesses, including farms, fisheries and agro-business enterprises throughout the Country, to give them a chance to apply for these grants. However, the funds are only available until December 31, 2005, Mr. Purcell noted. The grants are available for small operations that employed between 5 and 24 persons and medium-sized operations that employed 25 to 75 persons, prior to the passage of Hurricane Ivan on September 7, 2004. The maximum grant for small businesses is (EC) $20,000, while the maximum grant for medium sized businesses is (EC) $54,000. Mr. Purcell explained that there are certain eligibility requirements to access the funds. The ARD Outreach Programme is there to help business owners, farmers, fishermen and others with the pre-screening and determining the exact needs for revitalising their particular operation. Therefore, individuals or groups who would like to arrange a meeting in their community can get in touch with me at the ARD and I will be happy to accommodate them, Mr. Purcell added.
|
