Government remains extremely committed to growth of MSME subsector
Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, says the
inclusion of the Development of the SME Sector as part of the Government's
Industrial Transformation Agenda is not just lip service but one that
Government takes very seriously.
To help achieve this
objective, Government, through his Ministry has developed and launched the
National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Policy and also transformed
the then National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) into the Ghana
Enterprises Agency (GEA) as an apex body to regulate the entire MSME sub-sub-sector.
In addition, the Minister
says another evidence of Government's attention on the MSME Sector is the
strategic decision to support traders and micro enterprises through the
provision of emergency liquidity support to the tune of GHS 600 million under
the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) when
the whole world was struck by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Minister was speaking
at Makola Market in Accra when he presented a cheque for the donation of an
amount of Two Million, Twenty-Nine Ghana Cedis (GHC 2,029,000) as an emergency
financial support by Government to mitigate the effects suffered by the
ninety-eight (98) enterprises as a result of the fire outbreak which occurred
on Monday, 5th July, 2021, gutting a three-storey market building with basement
leading to the loss of about 300 jobs.
The Minister was full of
praise for stakeholder organizations who provided support services to the
victims, particularly the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster
Management Organization (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service, and the Accra Metro
Assembly (AMA). He singled out the former Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah for
the leadership he exhibited during the crisis.
It would be recalled that
on the 6th of July 2021, the Minister paid a working visit to the scene of the
market fire and assured that the Government would provide support to the
victims. To this end, he tasked the Ghana Enterprises Agency to liaise with
other key stakeholders particularly the Ghana Union of Traders Association,
Accra Metropolitan Association (AMA) and the National Disaster Management
Organization (NADMO) to determine liquidity relief support to the affected
victims. He also tasked GEA to work with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to
ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds.
In all, Ninety (98)
victims were identified as having suffered levels of losses as a result of the
unfortunate fire incident. The Minister was hopeful that the support would go a
long way to mitigate the adverse effects on businesses as a result of the fire
incident.
Other dignitaries present
at the event included the Mayor of Accra (Hon Elizabeth Sackey), Mrs. Kosi
Yankey Ayeh (Chief Executive Officer of
the Ghana Enterprises Agency), the Director General of NADMO as well as Dr
Ernest Ofori Sarpong of the Special Group of Companies.
