MEDIA RELEASE
21/05/2024

AMCHAM T&T recommitted its focus on measures to advance Business Continuity Planning (BCP) across all organizations by hosting the Business Continuity Workshop with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on May, 21st, 2024 at the Faculty of Food & Agriculture, UWI, St. Augustine.  

The workshop was coordinated with the support of The National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Multi-Sectorial Committee and in partnership with ARISE T&T featured SMEs from a wide cross-section of various industry sectors.  

The workshop attendees greatly benefited from the workshop by being taken through the tenets of business continuity planning for their respective organizations and were encouraged to engage in risk-based thinking for their SMEs with workshop facilitator - Mr. Jeffrey Millington, Vice Chair, ARISE T&T committee.  

“What all of this comes down to for many of us is making sure we keep our people safe – especially during challenging times,” said Melissa Pierre, Senior Trade and Policy Specialist at AMCHAM T&T who delivered the Welcome Remarks. “We must always keep the focus on the safety and well-being of our employees,” Pierre said. “That’s why we must have clear procedures and support systems during crises to help protect staff and maintain morale, which will be vital for business productivity and retention.”  

Pierre said it's important not to ignore how much more susceptible SMEs are to various disruptions, including natural disasters, cyber-attacks, supply chain failures, and economic downturns. “By enhancing BCP initiatives, we see how SMEs can better manage risks, maintain operations, protect their reputation, and ensure long-term success, thereby reinforcing their indispensable role in our community’s economic and social fabric.”  

The workshop was also meant to ensure that SMEs are protected from legal penalties due to changes in the regulatory environment by many industries which now require disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Therefore, Pierre recommends that SMEs must be provided with the necessary training and resources to comply with these regulations to foster a culture of preparedness and responsibility.  

AMCHAM T&T would like to thank The National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Multi-Sectorial Committee and our partners at ARISE T&T for their support and collaboration in hosting today’s workshop. We will continue to work on behalf of our members and the wider society to build leadership and improved business continuity planning in our businesses, communities, and country. 
 
For further questions or comments please contact: Melissa Pierre via melissapierre@amchamtt.com 

 
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