Commerce Ministry Receives 2,000 Applications for Small Business Restoration Grant
MIIC Author
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill (right), engages with applicants during the Ministry’s Small Business Restoration Grant Application Drive at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has received approximately 2,000 completed applicationsfor its $500-million SmallBusinessRestorationGrant, aimed at helping micro and smallbusiness operators recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.
Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, provided the update on Wednesday (October 28) during the Ministry’s latest application drive at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, St. James.
Approximately 260 applications were received, processed, and completed during the one-day exercise.
Senator Hill told JIS News that the programme is intended to help small operators, including hairdressers, barbers, carpenters, masons, and truckers, replace damaged equipment, restore their operations, and resume earning an income.
He noted that eligible applicants under the Programme’s FASST-BIZ Grant component can access grants of up to $350,000, provided their businesses are registered with the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), or their municipal corporation, and they possess a valid Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN).
The Minister further indicated that the Tools of Trade Grant targets operators who may not have registered businesses but lost essential equipment, such as hairdryers, saws, and other tools during the hurricane.
Senator Hill, however, added that applicants for this grant must possess a TRN, noting that officers from Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) were on site assisting persons who needed to obtain one.
He further explained that applications must be attested to by a Member of Parliament, a Justice of the Peace, or a representative of an umbrella church group.
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