Jenniffer González reaffirms her support for local enterprises at Small Business Week activities.

San Juan, Puerto Rico- Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón reaffirmed her commitment with small business development during her Keynote Address at the National Small Business Week awards ceremony today.

"Our small and mid-sized businesses are fundamental to put Puerto Rico on a path of economic growth recovery… I have repeatedly brought them up as part of my insistent struggle to have the recommendations of the Congressional Puerto Rico Economic Development Task Force put in motion", the Resident commissioner stated during the activity organized by the Small Business Administration District Office for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and cosponsored by the Puerto Rico Bank Association.

González-Colón highlighted the importance of her appointment to the U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Businesses, where she can work jointly with members from both national political parties to incorporate the Task Force recommendations into federal legislation.

Some of those recommendations include: greater access to SBA capital and credit for business microloans; greater compliance with federal Small Business and Minority Business procurement rules; sustaining and expanding the SBA Disaster Assistance Program; establishing a Veterans Business Outreach Center based in Puerto Rico and expanding the Federal and State Technology Partnership opportunities.

"From my Committee assignment I have been able to keep in close touch with SBA head Linda McMahon, to set the priorities for small enterprise development as well as for SBA administrative goals. This definitely has to include enabling Puerto Rican small businesses to achieve their fair share of participation in programs that promote entrepreneurship and support economic growth in distressed communities", the congresswoman added.

On that issue the Resident Commissioner indicated she has kept following up on the effect on Puerto Rico's econoly of the expansión of the HUBZone program after the passage of PROMESA, about which the General Accounting Office (GAO) is due to present a report this summer. PROMESA added 500 HUBZone designations in Puerto Rico for a total of 776, now covering 82% of the Island where eligible businesses gain a higher potential for participation in federal contracts.

By law, up to 3% of federal contracts and purchases are set aside for small businesses in economically distressed areas; or woman, veteran or minority owned businesses; or locations impacted by military base closings. However, that goal has never been met and if in Puerto Rico it could get to 2%, not even the full 3%, it could represent as much as $330 million in direct income to small and mid-sized businesses in the island. This is already budgeted expenditure so it does not represent a cent more taken from the nation's taxpayers, as they are purchases and contracts that are will have to be made and it is a matter of targeting them where they can do the most good.

"From the Committee I have already invited the Administrator to visit the former base at Roosevelt Roads and the small and midsized businesses in the island. We have already had several meetings here in Puerto Rico with Michael Morales, the White House liaison with SBA and who besides being from Naranjito, PR, a White House Fellow and serving in the Air Force, is the person in charge of Puerto Rico issues for the Administrator. Through these meetings we are already identifying areas of possible improvement to support our small businesspeople, such as for example the SBA 8(a) Certification, which offers businesses in an economically distressed community training opportunities to become more able to compete for federal contracts by themselves or in joint ventures", González Colón added.

"Today, during Small Businesses Week I reaffirm my commitment to fight for the full equal opportunity for our small and midsized businesses deserve, to make the most of their contribution to building the Puerto Rico we all want", concluded the Resident Commissioner.

The Resident Commissioner presented a Congressional Recognition to each of the SBA Award recipients recognized at the event. These included: Víctor M Rivera-Solanas y María Paula Rivera-Solanas, chair and vice-chair of Atención Atención Inc. (Small Business Person of the Year Award); Sergio Fernández & Marian Ortiz – FVO Enterprises Group, LLC (Husband and Wife Business Team of the Year); Carlos N. Castillo Piazza – La Cuisine Catering Service Inc. (Service Provider of the Year); Dan Bigman – Gascó Industrial (Manufacturer of the Year); Annette Mattei – SEVE Inc. dba Do the Math (Small Business Start-Up of the Year); and Iris Vincent – Prime Air Corp (Woman Entrepreneur of the Year).