Government rolls out state-of-the-art business centres to aid 1D1F

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, has commissioned two state-of-the-art Business Resource Centres (BRCs) at Akropong and Dodowa in the Eastern and Greater Accra Regions.

The facilities are expected to boost economic activities in the respective areas by developing the capabilities of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) and facilitate access to financial services, credit and markets.

Speaking at the event in Akropong, the Minister noted that the sustainability and competitiveness of 1D1F projects and other MSMEs are the reasons why the BRCs are critical.

He said Ghana was gradually positioning itself as the manufacturing hub for the sub-region with the establishment of factories in 142 districts out of the 261 districts under the government’s flagship 1D1F programme.

According to him, the BRCs are essential “in the provision of full range business development services, investment facilitation and information services to potential and existing entrepreneurs as well as business enterprises at the district level.”

He stated that the BRCs were being established under the Rural Enterprises Programme, a Government of Ghana development cooperation programme financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

At Dodowa, the Minister noted that the Dodowa centre was one of the newly constructed BRCs out of the second batch of additional 30 BRCs being established throughout the country.

This, therefore, brings the total number of BRCs in Greater Accra to three, with the other two in Ada and Weija.

Mr Hammond reiterated that the BRCs would liaise extensively with other business regulatory and financial institutions such as the Registrar Generals’ Department (RGD), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

He stressed the importance of maintaining and maximising the benefits of the facilities and encouraged traditional leaders to work in that direction.