SCCI records 17% increase in new memberships in 2012

Khalid Bin Butti Bin Obaid, Assistant Director-General for Memberships and Branches at SCCI, said that the Chamber's report monitoring membership of companies operating in Sharjah, shows dynamic growth enjoyed by the emirate's economy through the actual performance of establishments operating in the emirate throughout 2012 as compared to 2011. He added that these numbers are a clear indication of Sharjah's strong economic sector, which is active and is demonstrating outstanding performance even during the global financial crisis.

According to SCCI's monitoring report, number of new memberships rose between 8 to 17% to 6,152 new memberships in 2012, compared to 5,643 new memberships in 2011.

Renewed memberships at SCCI also recorded growth at a rate ranging between 2 to 8%, reaching 42,020 renewed memberships last year, compared to 39,706 renewed memberships in 2011. It is a clear indication of confidence among SCCI members in its services and facilities to promote their businesses, said Bin Obaid.

He also revealed that new and renewed memberships recorded by the Chamber reflected positively on the overall number of memberships recorded in the emirate in 2012, which amounted to 48,172 memberships, of which 6,152 are new while 42,020 memberships are renewed. The report also pointed out that memberships of companies operating in Sharjah freezones has also increased by 8%, reaching 2,011 in 2012 compared to 1,862 companies that were registered in the year before, while Sharjah Airport Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone recorded an increase in registered companies of 5 and 3%, respectively.

According to the report, SCCI recorded 41,103 memberships at its headquarters and branches in 2012, with 2,228 memberships recorded in Khor Fakkan, 1,863 memberships in Kalba, 2,492 memberships in Al Dhaid and 486 memberships in Dibba Al Hisn. The above numbers is a clear indication of the ease in obtaining trade licenses in Sharjah, and highlights the Chamber's role in promoting the emirate as an attractive investment hub, confirms Bin Obaid.

He also said that SCCI offers a wide range of services, such as providing technical consultancy services, collecting data and information and issuing certificates of origins and so on. He added that certificates of origins issued by SCCI in 2012 reached 99,033 certificates compared to 84,042 certificates in the previous year, with an increase rate of 17%.