BFIF 2004 END OF YEAR REPORT - YEMEN

UNCLAS SANAA 000128

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO EB/CBA - DENNIS WINSTEAD.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP ABUD BTIO ETRD EINV YM ECON COM
SUBJECT: BFIF 2004 END OF YEAR REPORT - YEMEN

REF: A. 04 SECSTATE 238763

B. 04 SANAA 228


1. Embassy Sanaa expanded its outreach to local businessmen
and women in FY 2004 by sponsoring the Small and Medium
Enterprise (SME) Development and Management Workshop, held
September 12 to 14, at the Sanaa Chamber of Commerce. This
three-day training workshop focused on the basics of
entrepreneurship, including: Business and financial planning
and management, business negotiations, marketing, finance and
budgets. Structured like a graduate business management
course, the training seminars employed a wide variety of
small group exercises on improving inventory flows to case
study analyses and SME time management.


2. At an end of workshop feedback session, participants
praised the proactive nature of the training. Several
requested specialized follow-up training sessions on such
issues as finance and intermediate marketing. Participants
also shared their appreciation for the tangible
skill-building efforts of the Embassy to help improve the
business environment in Yemen.


3. Since the time since the SME workshop, and as a result of
the positive press and publicity it garnered, government
agencies and local NGOs such as the Sanaa offices of the
World Bank's International Finance Corporation, Ministry of
Trade and Industry, and Yemen Development Foundation, have
contacted the Embassy to request information-sharing and
guidance on structuring their own vocational training
workshops and programs.


4. Conferences and workshops that are free-of-charge to
participants in Yemen often experience sporadic and uneven
participation and attendance. To insure serious
participation, a modest registration fee schedule was
devised. As a result, the workshop enjoyed an unusually
consistent attendance rate among participants; 35 of the 38
registered participants completed all eight sessions in the
workshop.


5. Below is an outline of project costs. Financial
accounting is based on a currency exchange rate of 184 Yemeni
Riyals (YR) to one USD. Post will transfer the remaining
funds to EB/EX through the BFIF fund cite.

Total BFIF Funds for Project Cost: 6,250.00

Incoming funds in registration fees: 950.22

Expenses: 2732.93
- Training and Consultancy Fee: 2415.00
- Venue provided free of charge courtesy of Sanaa Chamber of
Commerce
- Labor Costs: 73.37
- Renting of audio/visual equipment and other presentation
supplies: 85.59

Budget Balance returned to BFIF Fund Cite: 3,835.00

Registration revenue (cash) to be transferred to BFIF Fund
Cite: 791.25


6. A package of documents including a detailed expenditure
report, receipts, and other BFIF program information will be
sent via email to BFIF Program Manager Dennis Winstead.
KRAJESKI