Africa-Press – Cape verde. Small and medium-sized companies currently represent 40 percent (%) of the new members of the Barlavento Chamber of Commerce (CCB) as a way of allowing the inclusion of entrepreneurs at different levels, assured the president.
Jorge Maurício gave the information to the press following the Ordinary General Assembly of the CCB, held on Friday, 26th, to discuss the accounts and activity report for 2023 and the activity plan and budget for 2024.
The business association, according to the same source, has many more members after paying “a lot of attention” to small and medium-sized companies, which make up 85% of the Cape Verdean business community.
Therefore, he asserted, since 2020 it has focused on this area to the point that “more than 40%” of new members are small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, out of a total of 429 registered with the CCB.
“This is important for us because it is a factor of inclusion. No one can be left out because they are unable to be in the chambers of commerce, we always make it possible to bring everyone together to also contribute, to benefit from our actions, to benefit from the institutional power that is exercised by the chamber of commerce”, he highlighted.
Jorge Maurício also pointed out other actions carried out “somewhat quietly” by the CCB, but which he believes are having an impact, including the contribution to the revision of the Labor Code, opinions to improve the business environment, participation in international fairs, among others.
“The Barlavento Chamber of Commerce also has a very strong focus on training. We had more than 250 participants in training during the year”, he added.
As for the activity plan for 2024, the head of the CCB said that it is the continuity of the mandate that ends in November this year, and that it should include the materialization of “very concrete” programs, starting with the construction of the organization’s headquarters on the islands of Sal and Santo Antão.
“There are huge projects that are also from the point of view of environmental sustainability, solid waste, projects also referring to business organization, projects at the level of Macaronesia”, explained Jorge Maurício, adding that there are 11 projects already submitted and awaiting results.
And all of them must be implemented, according to the same source, through the annual budget of around 48-50 thousand contos and the project portfolio, which has “specific financing” through specific partners for this purpose.
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