Support SMEs...Stakeholders told

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday June 30, 2010
The Western Regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo has appealed to stakeholders in the Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SME) sector to help to address the challenges facing SMEs in order to grow them to expected levels.

Speaking at a two-day workshop at Takoradi recently, Hon Aidoo said the support ought to be extended to business associations to empower them to become proactive and support government’s industrialization drive.

According to him, “The concerns of the private sector as a major player in the economy are receiving much attention. The potential of business associations to contribute to a conducive policy environment would not be attained if business associations remain weak.”

He continued that “government considers SMEs as critical building blocks in the country’s industrialization agenda and therefore is determined to provide the enabling environment for their growth and development.”

“The establishment of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and other business development service agencies such as specialized technology centres and business incubators are among the numerous projects being executed by the government to practically support and make SMEs more competitive in the national industrialization programme.”

Kwesi Jonah, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, who spoke on the relationship between social market economy and business associations, said the time has come for government to create conducive environment for the private sector.

He added that government should be able to “change gear when policy is going off-track and stick to what it can do best by maintaining law, order and provide security and welfare and build infrastructure to enable the private sector to create jobs.”

James Kainyiah, former Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, who chaired the event, said SMEs should be given the needed support to promote economic development.

Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programmes Manager of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), noted that his outfit was committed to supporting government to introduce reforms into institutions towards accelerated development.

The workshop was organized by Private Enterprises Foundation (PEF) with sponsorship from KAS.