GOV’T TACKLES POVERTY THROUGH REP
GOV’T TACKLES POVERTY THROUGH REP May 31, 2011
BY P. ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
Honourable Hanna Tetteh, the Minister of Trade and Industry has stated that the role of government is to create a favourable business environment for private sector growth and competitiveness which will lead to increased domestic and international trade. She said with this in mind, the National Democratic Congress government is implementing policies to purposefully eliminate poverty, social deprivation and economic injustice from the Ghanaian society.
The minister was delivering an address to open the 2011 Clients’ Exhibition and Trade Show organised by the Rural Enterprises Project [REP] under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This year’s event is being held in Navrongo, capital of the Kassena-Nankana East district. The trade show which will promote inter-district trade and foster regional and national trade relations will run for one week. A total of 66 districts benefiting from REP interventions are exhibiting their products and services to patrons. Some of the exhibitions include textiles, agricultural machines, food products among others.
Hon. Tetteh said government recognises the REP as part of its strategy to reduce poverty through self employment adding that the project will among other things upgrade the business advisory centres and rural technology facilities into decentralised departments for trade, industry and tourism under the local government structure to deal with issues related to trade and private sector enterprise.
She noted that the Ghanaian business environment is dominated by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises [MSMEs] for which reason government is through the Trade Ministry pursuing programmes such as the Trade Sector Support Programmes, the World Bank/IMF MSME Project, the Private Sector Development Strategy II and others so as to provide the needed technical skills and financial assistance to MSMEs.
According to Madam Hanna Tetteh, the policies of government are aimed at making Ghana a producing and exporting nation stressing “We are committed to investment, industrialisation and export promotion”. She disclosed that based on the success of the first and second phases of the REP, phase three will soon be rolled out which will increase the beneficiary districts from 66 to 166.
In his welcome address, the District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana East, Hon. Emmanuel Andema observed that the current unemployment levels in the country can be reduced if the capacities of the youth are adequately resourced. He was thus glad that since the commissioning of a REP facility in his district in 2007, as many as 1,303 artisans have upgraded their skills in various trades with about 377 given NVTI certificates. Also 1,552 people benefitted from training activities such as batik tie & dye, pomade making and others.
Hon. Andema further disclosed that since 2008, the rural technology facility under the REP has produced 1,050 metal-wood combination furniture for some senior high schools in the district and this put money in the pockets of trainees at the facility.
The Upper East regional minster, Hon. Mark Owen Woyongo who also addressed the exhibitors expressed joy that four districts in his region are beneficiaries under the REP and appealed to the implementing authorities to expand the programme to cover the remaining five districts. He urged the exhibitors to share information and learn from sister districts.
The National Project Coordinator of REP, Mr. Kwasi Attah-Antwi in his speech said the Clients’ Exhibition and Trade Show is an annual event by the REP to create a platform for the rural entrepreneurs and clients of the project to showcase their products and establish business links outside their home districts. He revealed that as a strategy by the Rural Enterprises Project to address the marketing challenges confronting rural enterprises, it adopted the organisation of trade shows since 2002 as a market access tool under which nine trade shows have so far been held for 1,507 clients.
Mr. Atta-Antwi said since its inception in 1995, the role of the Rural Enterprises Project has been to build sustainable institutional structures and framework for alleviating poverty through increased self and wage employment at the district level.
BY P. ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
Honourable Hanna Tetteh, the Minister of Trade and Industry has stated that the role of government is to create a favourable business environment for private sector growth and competitiveness which will lead to increased domestic and international trade. She said with this in mind, the National Democratic Congress government is implementing policies to purposefully eliminate poverty, social deprivation and economic injustice from the Ghanaian society.
The minister was delivering an address to open the 2011 Clients’ Exhibition and Trade Show organised by the Rural Enterprises Project [REP] under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This year’s event is being held in Navrongo, capital of the Kassena-Nankana East district. The trade show which will promote inter-district trade and foster regional and national trade relations will run for one week. A total of 66 districts benefiting from REP interventions are exhibiting their products and services to patrons. Some of the exhibitions include textiles, agricultural machines, food products among others.
Hon. Tetteh said government recognises the REP as part of its strategy to reduce poverty through self employment adding that the project will among other things upgrade the business advisory centres and rural technology facilities into decentralised departments for trade, industry and tourism under the local government structure to deal with issues related to trade and private sector enterprise.
She noted that the Ghanaian business environment is dominated by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises [MSMEs] for which reason government is through the Trade Ministry pursuing programmes such as the Trade Sector Support Programmes, the World Bank/IMF MSME Project, the Private Sector Development Strategy II and others so as to provide the needed technical skills and financial assistance to MSMEs.
According to Madam Hanna Tetteh, the policies of government are aimed at making Ghana a producing and exporting nation stressing “We are committed to investment, industrialisation and export promotion”. She disclosed that based on the success of the first and second phases of the REP, phase three will soon be rolled out which will increase the beneficiary districts from 66 to 166.
In his welcome address, the District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana East, Hon. Emmanuel Andema observed that the current unemployment levels in the country can be reduced if the capacities of the youth are adequately resourced. He was thus glad that since the commissioning of a REP facility in his district in 2007, as many as 1,303 artisans have upgraded their skills in various trades with about 377 given NVTI certificates. Also 1,552 people benefitted from training activities such as batik tie & dye, pomade making and others.
Hon. Andema further disclosed that since 2008, the rural technology facility under the REP has produced 1,050 metal-wood combination furniture for some senior high schools in the district and this put money in the pockets of trainees at the facility.
The Upper East regional minster, Hon. Mark Owen Woyongo who also addressed the exhibitors expressed joy that four districts in his region are beneficiaries under the REP and appealed to the implementing authorities to expand the programme to cover the remaining five districts. He urged the exhibitors to share information and learn from sister districts.
The National Project Coordinator of REP, Mr. Kwasi Attah-Antwi in his speech said the Clients’ Exhibition and Trade Show is an annual event by the REP to create a platform for the rural entrepreneurs and clients of the project to showcase their products and establish business links outside their home districts. He revealed that as a strategy by the Rural Enterprises Project to address the marketing challenges confronting rural enterprises, it adopted the organisation of trade shows since 2002 as a market access tool under which nine trade shows have so far been held for 1,507 clients.
Mr. Atta-Antwi said since its inception in 1995, the role of the Rural Enterprises Project has been to build sustainable institutional structures and framework for alleviating poverty through increased self and wage employment at the district level.
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