Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton is again calling on small business owners to formalise their operations in order to benefit from the various initiatives put in place by the Government to ensure their growth and development.

He was speaking at a Mobile Business Clinic Initiative (MBCI) event hosted by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) on Tuesday at the Duhaney Park Community Centre in St. Andrew.

Mr Hylton said while he understands that some persons engage in informal businesses out of necessity, just to survive, "if you expect to go beyond (a) mere hand-to-mouth existence, then you have to formalise the business".

He noted that formalising a business is essential, especially as it pertains to acquiring financing. He pointed out as well that, without certain documents, such as a Tax Payer Registration Number (TRN), one cannot start a formal operation. Importantly, persons have to first acquire a birth certificate in order to attain the TRN.

Several partner

The minister noted that several government agencies, like the JBDC and the Companies Office of Jamaica, are available to help persons with starting or growing a business.

Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC Valerie Veira said through the intervention in Duhaney Park, the Government is providing "inclusive support" to small businesses in the area.

She noted that the JBDC, along with several partner agencies, are on hand to "hold the hands of those enterprises that are about to start to do it right", and move from "doing a ting and a hustling" to being full-fledged entrepreneurs.

The MBCI, which was launched by the industry ministry in September last year, is an islandwide project, which decentralises business development services geared at reaching a wider group of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in new and existing industries and sectors.

The programme, which is being implemented over three years by the JBDC, seeks to facilitate business formalisation, market access, and market entry; increase awareness of business, development services, provide training, capacity development and technical support; promote sound entrepreneurial practices through public education; and sensitise MSMEs about the Government's reform agenda.