Small Businesses In Ghana Admonished To Seek Technical Support From Ministry Of Trade & Industry

Mr Maxwell Ansah, the Acting Upper East Regional Trade Officer at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has called on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Region to visit the office for technical assistance to boost their businesses.

He said the office was operating an open door policy that aimed at providing expertise and support to businesses to influence the positive growth of the economy and enhance the domestic market.

Mr Ansah, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Bolgatanga, indicated that the Ministry as a government agency was responsible for the formulation, implementation and enforcement of policies that had the potential of diversifying expertise in trade, promoting SMEs and industrializing the economy.

He advised all SMEs and business organizations to come to the office of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and its agencies including the Ghana Export Promotions Authority, the Ghana Standard Authority, the Business Advisory Centre among others with their challenges and good technical solutions would be administered to them to enable their businesses effectively grow for the necessary impact.

As part of efforts to industrialize the economy, the Regional Officer stated that the government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry was implementing one of its flagship programmes; One-District One-Factory (1D1F) and said about 30,000 hectors of industrial land had been secured for the project.

He disclosed that his outfit has had engagements with about three District Assemblies including the Kassena-Nankana West, Bawku West and Talensi Districts where about four factories would be established and said two of the factories would be located in the Talensi District.

'The policy is Public Private Partnership driven and most of the investors are already in business and they just need capital to expand. Some of the banks where funds are coming from are assessing investors' documents to ensure that their assets are solid.'

'Bawku West District has proposed the production of guinea fowls, Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District, Shea factory and the Talensi District would have Quarry and Tomatoes factories established,' The Regional Trade Officer added.

He said the implementation teams in these districts which included the major stakeholders in the areas such as the District Chief Executives (DCEs), Members of Parliament, the Chiefs, the Ghana Water Company and the Volta River Authority (VRA) to offer expertise to speed up the implementation of the process have been officially inaugurated.

Mr Ansah revealed that plans were far advanced to revamp the Pwalugu Tomatoes Factory in the Talensi District to ensure full and standard operation that would create jobs and improve livelihoods of the people in the area.

He indicated that the revamping of the Pwalugu Tomatoes factory was not part of the four factories to be established in the Region for the first phase of the one District one Factory policy, and announced that the area was good for the production of water melon and the factory could be diverted into producing fruits juice using the water melon.

This, he said would create employment for the people in the area, especially the youth, to reduce the unemployment situation confronting the country, and called for attitudinal change among investors in the Region.

He urged investors to show interest in partnering the government to establish these factories and other development initiatives implemented to improve the standard of living of the people.