JEDDAH, 29 March — The board members of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) defended their performance during 2001 before a general assembly meeting held here last night.

The eagerly anticipated meeting was preceded by a wave of accusations, some of which surfaced in the media, concerning financial mismanagement and corruption.

Speaking before a modest audience of subscribers, the chamber’s top officials promised more transparency and openness over the coming years. They presented the members with a report outlining achievements during the Hijri year 1421/1422 (2000/2001) and detailing future plans that promised to enhance their performance by cutting down expenses, doing more to assist small businesses, and giving the chamber the leading role in the drive to develop of the city.

As an example of their efforts to promote Jeddah, they pointed out that the three summer festivals organized by the chamber so far have generated SR4.14 billion in revenues.

“We look forward to more cooperation from traders and businessmen to enable us to carry out our duties. The objective is to make Jeddah a major center of attraction for investors, tourists and visitors. Our strategic objectives also seek to improve the services provided to the chamber’s subscribers, develop the national workforce, improve the performance of small and medium businesses, encourage investment and strengthen ties with governmental departments,” said JCCI Board Chairman Abdullah Zainal.

Financial records show that the chamber’s 2000/2001 budget registered a deficit of SR7.69 million, with revenues totaling SR50.34 million and expenses SR58.039 million. Revenues for the previous year were SR54.074 million, while expenses totaled SR58.97 million.

Both the chairman and the chamber’s Secretary-General, Majed Al-Qasabi, promised to hold a monthly meeting with the subscribers and the publication of a quarterly report detailing the chamber’s activities — adding that it would all be open to criticism.

The chamber has been subjected to a wave of criticism, with many citing weak performance, financial irregularities and the squandering of chamber money on foreign trips by board members.

The accusations also cite the hiring of people from outside the chamber already employed either within the government or elsewhere who contribute very little or nothing to its activities (SR12 million are said to be paid in salaries to these people annually), the lack of proper control and supervision over chamber money and the fact that the chamber itself has been relegated to a mere collector of subscription fee.

Board members responded by saying that some of the Ministry of Commerce’s employees — especially those working in quality control and similar areas — have been hired by the chamber to work extra hours to process and finish work so that the traders’ businesses would not be jeopardized by delays.

The board heard suggestions for improving the performance and for more involvement of women in the development of the city economy. Al-Qasabi said they plan to set up a special section for the development of small businesses and operate a center for consumer protection in cooperation with Abdul Lateef Jameel group.

Al-Qasabi said the administration may have failed properly to project the achievements and may have not been able to reach out to the chamber members, but added this does not justify belittling real achievements or hurling accusations without first finding out the facts.

The secretary-general added that more emphasis will be laid on human resource development and the training of young Saudis to prepare them for taking up positions in the private sector.

Last year the chamber held some 3,000 training courses for males and females which benefited some 4,000 trainees. More than 5,000 Saudi applied for jobs through the chamber, of whom 987 got jobs and nearly 2,000 others have been directed to various private establishments to process their papers.