Ghanaian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs) participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gets major boosts with a $70, 000 grant.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/ Absa Bank Ghana partnership is part of a series of business development activities, which has already supported about 3,000 enterprises over the past four years.
Under the current programme, some 18 MSMEs that qualified from an innovation pitching competition would be supported to scale and firm up their operations and leverage opportunities presented by the continental free trade.
Beneficiaries of the integrated MSMEs support programme were drawn from six Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) – Sagnerigu, Jomoro, Ketu South, Sefwi Wiawso, Kumasi, and Kassena-Nankana West.
Dr Angela Lusiga, UNDP Resident Representative to Ghana, expressed confidence in the programme helping address the financing gap for MSMEs, and for them to be fully prepared to participate in AfCFTA.
‘At UNDP
, we believe that providing integrated support to small businesses particularly those owned by women and youth is key to transforming the economy and unlocking the productivity of the informal sector. This will create decent jobs and break the cycle of poverty and inequality,’ she said.
She said UNDP through a study observed the lack of knowledge by many Ghanaian MSMEs about the free trade agreement, leading to the provision of the US$70,000 grant.
‘We started with a survey where we asked MSMEs what they knew about AfCFTA. We found out that there were many enterprises that didn’t even know about AfCFTA. Most of them didn’t know much about the opportunities and products that are allowed under the AfCFTA,’ she said.
Dr Lusiga said UNDP had effectively addressed the awareness deficit about the AfCFTA with the beneficiary MSMEs through working with the National Coordination Office of AfCFTA to spread awareness of the agreement in different districts.
Madam Audrey Abakah, Head of SME Agency at ABSA Bank, encou
raged MSMEs to have proper accounts, as it remained a major access to finance constraint in the country.
She urged the MSMEs to fully apply the concepts taught under the programme to enhance their enterprises.
Kofi Ansong Denkyi, the Chief Operating Officer of Empretec Ghana, said the expansion of an enterprise transcended access to grants, noting that the mindset of the entrepreneurs was key to the success of the enterprises.
‘Money alone doesn’t make entrepreneurs successful. What makes entrepreneurs successful is their mindset and behavior. So, I urge the awardees to continue to cultivate the right mindset and behaviour to become growth-oriented businesses,’ he said.
He also encouraged them to prepare for risks, saying some businesses could derail the growth of their enterprises if they did not have the mental fortitude to overcome them.
Source: Ghana News Agency
OPUWO: World Wetlands Day was commemorated at Opuwo on Thursday under the theme ‘Wetlands and human wellbeing’, emphasising the critical role of wetlands in human prosperity and a healthy planet.
World Wetlands Day is an annual event held to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands and promote their conservation and sustainable use. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at conserving and sustainably managing wetlands around the world.
During the event, Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein spoke of the significance of protecting Namibia’s wetlands, highlighting their diverse ecological functions and their significance as habitats for numerous species.
Schlettwein further emphasised the importance of wetlands in human health, food security, agriculture, and conservation efforts.
‘Maintaining healthy freshwater wetlands means securing water supply. Our rural communities depend on wetlands for food and building materials
such as reeds and timber to construct their houses,’ he added.
The minister also referenced World Water Day, which is celebrated annually to promote the value of freshwater and the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
‘Demand for water in the world and Namibia has been increasing and will continue to do so over the coming decades due to population growth, socio-economic development, and increased food production,’ he noted.
Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Phamba Shifeta stated at the same event that the world is losing wetlands three times faster than it is losing forests, with more than 80 per cent of wetlands having disappeared since the 1700s.
‘The trend is accelerating even further since the Ramsar Convention to protected wetlands was signed, and since then at least 35 per cent of the wetlands have been lost,’ he said.
Shifeta said human activities and climate change are the primary causes of wetlands degradation and loss, which in turn have a detrimental impact on human liv
es and welfare.
He urged traditional authorities and regional and local government officials to help promote the culture of wetland conservation, stating that concerted efforts at the local level will ensure that Namibia’s wetlands are protected and continue to provide much-needed ecosystem services to both society and the environment.
Wetlands are habitats that hold water, either continuously or seasonally, and the Kunene Region has over 15 wetlands.
Source: Namibia Press Agency