Enhancing membership benefits is a top priority for the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC), according to the newly elected president–chief executive officer of TPM (Technology, Process and Management) Consulting and managing director of Bahamas Technology Solutions Ltd Winston Rolle.

“The BCCEC has always made a significant contribution in the way of advocacy and, while our intent is to maintain or improve on that position, we developed our strategic plan with feedback from our members and it was very clear that value added services was a key missing component,”?says Rolle.

“My goal is the implementation of these value added services, making us more relevant to our members, while sustaining and growing our membership.”

Among the added benefits are networking and leadership opportunities, business counselling, a member-to-member discount programme, business advocacy, discounted insurance and the ability to join the chamber’s pension plan.

An advocacy group for the private sector, the 76-year-old Chamber of Commerce represents a cross-section of businesses in The Bahamas, with over 700 member businesses and individuals.

Annual membership subscriptions are around $500,000.

Rolle believes leveraging the chamber’s relationship with various organizations to the benefit of its members is key to its future development.

The establishment of stronger and more meaningful public/private partnerships is “paramount,”?adds Rolle, who first served as chamber president from 2003-2005. He also carried out administrative responsibilities for the chamber in 2007-8.

On January 1, The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and The Bahamas Employers Confederation (BECon) merged to form the BCCEC.

The newly formed organization carried out its inaugural annual election on June 9, 2011.

The names of the BCCEC’s current slate of officers were put forward by the nominating committee and went in unopposed, according to Rolle.

Rolle says the BCCEC has developed a new structure comprising of 10 divisions that provide focus in “relevant” areas.

The chamber’s strategic plan focuses on driving value added services (training, education and consultancy), influencing positive regulatory framework and policies to support business development in all sectors, promote positive industrial relations and achieve self-sustainability.

tblair@dupuch.com

Sidebar: BCCEC Officers