More Small Business Owners Benefit from Capacity Building Training through Adequate Housing Programme

Seven (7) business owners of Sophia, Georgetown, whose livelihoods were disrupted by infrastructure works under Phase Two of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP) are now benefiting from a two-day capacity building training.

The training, which began on Wednesday at the National Library, is led by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) in collaboration with the Small Business Bureau (SBB) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, CHPA’s Deputy Director of Community Development, Mrs. Donell Bess-Bascom and officials from the SBB attended the session.

The business owners received coaching in the areas of Financial Management and Record Keeping, Entrepreneurial Awareness and Small Business Development by the SBB on day one.

“This will enhance the knowledge you have and bring development to yourself and your community,” Minister Croal told participants, as he urged them to make the best of the opportunity.

Minister Croal also stated that small businesses are important for the country’s economic growth and job creation. Speaking to the development of Sophia, he noted that the government is committed to working with the community to ensure its development.

As part of restoring their livelihoods, affected business owners were previously issued with cash entitlements to commensurate with their respective income losses. A similar exercise was also held in March 2022 for seventeen (17) persons affected under Phase One of the programme.

AHUAP is an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded project being implemented through CHPA to improve the quality of life for Guyanese in urban and peri-urban Georgetown by providing access to affordable housing and basic infrastructure for low-income populations.

The capacity building training falls under the Livelihood Restoration Plan of AHUAP, which is designed to ensure that all Project Affected Persons (PAPs) who are economically displaced by the programme’s activities, have their socio-economic conditions re-established or improved.

Training for the current batch concludes on Thursday, June 23, 2022, with sessions from GRA on Business Regularization and Tax Advisory.