In an effort to gain more ground, the Business Environment Simplification Programme (BESP) established today its own press and media division (BESPPMD).

BESP‐PMD will act to familiarize all the stakeholders concerned and the Syrian business community in large with the developments and successes of the programme and its multifaceted activities.

“Awareness of the business community of what we are doing is vital for our potential success” says Douglas Aitkenhead, BESP Team Leader. Aitkenhead adds that “the BESP‐PMD will not only provide more visibility to the programme itself and the technical assistance the EC is delivering Syria, it will also help promote the development and achievements of Syrian institutions like the Competition Commission, the Directorate of Internal Trade, just to name a few.”

The BESP initiative comes ahead of “EU Project Seminar 2009” designed to allow sharing experience with the EC Delegation and other EC‐funded programmes to enhance future cooperation. Visibility is one of the three topics to be discussed, the other two being: operational issues and measuring impact.

“Providing hands‐on specialized training to press officers at Syrian institutions working with BESP is a key consideration for us” says Kinda Assayegh Manager of BESP‐PMD. Assayegh confirms that “BESP has secured a wide media network that will help convey our message, and we will move our experience and media tools to the press divisions that will be established in these Syrian institutions. The press and media divisions at both the SME Department of the Ministry of Economy and Trade and at the Competition Commission are top priorities.”

About BESP
BESP has been established by the Government of Syria in partnership with the EC Delegation to Syria to contribute to the Syrian economic reform programme through the improvement and simplification of the business environment in the country in line with national requirements.
The purpose of the project is to establish and implement a range of actions in the area of competition policy, procedures for business registration and new and revised business legislation that will remove bottlenecks, reduce unnecessary red‐tape and promote transparent and fair practices for the Syrian business community.