Bahrain’s Labour Fund, Tamkeen, has rolled out the ‘Musanada’ (Support) Programme, a new initiative designed to provide financial relief and liquidity to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by recent hostile regional aggression. The program was announced during a joint briefing at the Bahrain Chamber.
Quick Facts
- New rescue fund for conflict-hit Bahraini MSMEs.
- Offers grants, operational aid, and credit relief.
- Support is conditional on retaining Bahraini employees.
A Targeted Lifeline for Business Continuity
The rescue fund aims to ensure business continuity and protect local jobs, giving impacted businesses a strict three-month window to apply. The initiative is a collaboration between Tamkeen and the Bahrain Chamber.
“This targeted intervention is a crucial lifeline for our private sector during a challenging period,” said Isa Murad, director of SMEs and complaints at the Bahrain Chamber.
“Our priority at the Chamber is to ensure that impacted MSMEs can rapidly recover, stabilise their cash flows, and overcome these unprecedented operational hurdles without facing long-term damage.”
Three Relief Paths to Stabilize Operations
The Musanada programme is built on three distinct relief tracks to address immediate financial and operational challenges.
Track 1 offers financial grants to cover the costs of infrastructure repairs. It can also compensate for fixed overheads like rent and utilities if a business cannot physically access its premises.
Track 2 provides operational grants for up to three months. The amount is scaled according to the company’s size and is strictly conditional upon retaining its national workforce.
Track 3 focuses on credit relief, delivering a 100% subsidy on profit charges for working capital loans through the SME Fund. This track includes a 12-month grace period and a repayment term of up to three years.
Prioritizing the National Workforce
Ahmed Janahi, Tamkeen’s director of public affairs, emphasized that protecting local talent is a core objective of the program.
“By linking our operational grants to workforce retention, Tamkeen is actively working to ensure that the national cadres within these enterprises remain secure while we inject the liquidity needed to sustain business operations,” Janahi stated.
Who Qualifies for Support?
To be eligible, applicants must be privately owned MSMEs with government ownership not exceeding 50%. Businesses must hold an active Commercial Registration, operate from a physical location, and be able to show a documented drop in revenue.
Additionally, companies must have a clean record with no active regulatory violations with official bodies like the Labour Market Regulatory Authority or the Social Insurance Organisation.
About Tamkeen
Tamkeen is Bahrain’s Labour Fund, a semi-autonomous government agency tasked with making the private sector the engine of economic growth. It focuses on providing support, training, and financing to private sector enterprises and individuals in Bahrain to enhance productivity and foster sustainable development.
Source: GDN Online
