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Date 5-01-06
Contact David Tisdale 601.266.4499
WITH PHOTO
Hattiesburg—The
University of Southern Mississippi Business Assistance Center (BAC)
in Hattiesburg will host a workshop Thursday, May 4, featuring State
Treasurer Tate Reeves, who will speak on the state of the Mississippi
economy and outline the benefits of the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act
of 2006 (GO Zone). The program is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 9
a.m. at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center on Main Street.
The program
is the conclusion of a series of programs hosted by the BAC designed
to educate the public about the GO Zone legislation, which is an
$8 billion economic assistance package designed to help revive the
economy of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. GO Zone legislation
encourages reinvestment in the state through a variety of incentives,
including creation of new small businesses and expansion of existing
businesses; accelerated depreciation for qualified property; additional
authority for tax exempt bond financing for qualified private projects;
and addition advanced refunding of state and local government bonds.
“It’s essential
for Mississippi to create an environment that encourages the private
sector to reinvest in the southern region of our state,” said Reeves.
“The GO Zone legislation presents tremendous opportunities for Mississippians
to build new small businesses and create jobs.”
Reeves also
praised the work of Mississippi’s Congressional delegation and Gov.
Haley Barbour for their work to secure federal assistance for the
areas affected by Katrina.
Betsy Rowell,
director of the Southern Miss Hattiesburg BAC, said Reeves has been
touring the southern region of the state to promote GO Zone incentives
and said his presentation will be informative for those interested
in learning about the legislation’s opportunities.
“We’re looking
forward to having Tate Reeves speak in Hattiesburg,” Rowell said.
“He’s been at the forefront of promoting GO Zone incentives and
is very knowledgeable about the legislation. The GO Zone Act is
going to be a key element of south Mississippi’s economic recovery
from Katrina.”
The goal of
the Southern Miss BAC is to spur investment in south Mississippi,
provide a one-stop shop for small and expanding businesses and to
work with communities to grow their entrepreneurial capacity. With
offices in Hattiesburg and Biloxi, the BAC has provided direct assistance
to 152 existing businesses and 30 start-up businesses. More that
300 participants have attended BAC educational programs.
The GO Zone
series is scheduled to start again in mid-May. During the month
of June, the Hattiesburg BAC will present “It’s GO Time in East
Hattiesburg.” This series of programs will focus on women and minority
business certification.
To find out
more about the BAC or to register for the May 4 program, call 601.544.5682.
Click to enlarge
State Treasurer, Tate Reeves
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