Entrepreneurs within the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector are being inspired to create enterprise continuity plans to spice up their resilience to a significant storm or hurricane.
The recommendation got here from Performing Director Basic on the Workplace of Catastrophe Preparedness and Emergency Administration (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, who was a panelist on the United Nations Improvement Programme (UNDP) Hurricane Prepared & Resilient discussion board on Tuesday (June 10).
The occasion, held on the UNDP’s Multi Nation Workplace in Kingston, engaged MSMEs on the subject of hurricane loss and harm.
Mr. Thompson identified that MSMEs account for roughly 97 per cent of companies within the nation and supply practically 80 per cent of employment for the Jamaican workforce, making them a particularly necessary a part of the financial system.
On the similar time, MSMEs are disproportionately susceptible to hurricane impacts due to their informality, dimension, restricted assets and insufficient entry to financing, insurance coverage and catastrophe preparedness, making enterprise continuity planning much more important.
“So, by way of enterprise continuity planning, it’s actually a technique that focuses on or ensures that the companies are capable of function or to proceed throughout or after any sort of disruptive occasion,” the ODPEM Performing Director Basic defined.
He outlined that efficient enterprise continuity planning ought to focus on the procedures crucial for sustaining enterprise operate, defending enterprise property, safeguarding general employment procedures, and guaranteeing that there’s efficient communication with clients.
That is necessary in minimising enterprise downtime and improves the flexibility to revive regular operate within the shortest potential time.
“It’s actually a deliberate course of to make sure that the companies are anticipating, they’re mitigating in opposition to points, they’re resolving points concerning the results of disasters that may impression the enterprise,” he identified.
Mr. Thompson famous that one essential facet of enterprise continuity is guaranteeing that companies plan their restoration course of.
As such, house owners and operators ought to guarantee that all necessary paperwork, plans and enterprise ideas are saved securely within the occasion of a pure catastrophe.
“One different factor as nicely that companies must pay essential consideration to is what known as single level of failure. One of many issues that we now have observed for a really very long time and it was highlighted throughout [Hurricane] Beryl, is that vitality technology, particularly round electrical energy, is the essential level of failure for lots of companies,” he identified.
The ODPEM Director mentioned it’s, due to this fact, necessary that companies, particularly those who rely closely on electrical energy, have a back-up plan for energy technology.
One other essential component that’s usually neglected by small entrepreneurs, he famous, is guaranteeing that companies are registered to allow them to obtain advantages from the State.
“Lots of small farmers are usually not registered. So, as a result of they don’t seem to be registered, it turns into troublesome after a catastrophe for them to get grants popping out of RADA (Rural Agricultural Improvement Authority) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining” Mr. Thompson mentioned.
In her remarks, Everlasting Secretary within the Ministry of Native Authorities and Neighborhood Improvement, Marsha Henry-Martin, emphasised the significance of offering help for MSMEs to navigate disasters.
She identified that it is usually necessary to know the person realities and distinctive traits of every enterprise, their areas and their vulnerabilities.
“As a Native Authorities Ministry, with duty for native communities, one among our mantras is that we’re not leaving anyone behind… each neighborhood issues, each district issues… each particular person issues. Their high quality of life should all the time be on the forefront, and no matter it’s that they do to maintain themselves is what we must always nurture,” the Everlasting Secretary mentioned.
She famous that the Ministry should be sure that the Complete Catastrophe Danger Administration Coverage, which is being finalised, sufficiently considers MSMEs and their sustainability.
