Nassau,The Bahamas – The Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre’s (SBDC) new board will continue to ensure that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) continue to have what they need to operate amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the board’s Chairman Lorne Basden said yesterday.
The new board was introduced during a press conference at the Ministry of Finance yesterday, where Basden contended that the members will hit the ground running.
“The immediate focus of the board is to ensure that in this pandemic and post-pandemic environment, we are meeting the needs of businesses that are even more reliant on the services, projects and portfolios that the Small Business Development Centre has to offer,” said Basden.
“The immediate role of the board will be to put all the policies in place to ensure that we have maximum exposure to small and medium-sized businesses. We look forward to building on the previous board and also providing some of our own unique perspectives.”
The new board also includes Deputy Chairman Een Colebrooke and board members Nolan Carey, Mark Turnquest, Jayel Gibson, Todd Martin, Creighton Moxey, James Julmis, Dr. Marlo Murphy-Braynen, Dr. Randy Forbes, Antoinette Russel and Charnette Thompson.
During the press conference, Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis called the new board “diverse, young and youthful” and contended that its members give it strength and flexibility. He urged them to “go the extra mile” to reach out to the most underserved in the country’s communities in order to ensure that the ideas and creativity within those communities do not go unrefined.
SBDC Executive Director Davinia Bain said during the press conference that the facility supported almost 2,000 entrepreneurs via $70 million in financial assistance from both governmental and international sources. She explained that the SBDC will imminently launch funding programs specifically for technology and the youth.
The SBDC moved to new headquarters at the old Phil’s food store on Gladstone Road last year, the first phase of which officially opened late last year.
According to Bain, the money for the subsequent phases of the property could be included in the government’s 2022/2023 budget cycle.
Written By: Chester Robards | www.thenassauguardian.com
