Ashaiman (Greater
Accra) 14 April 2003- Small and Medium-scale entrepreneurs were on Friday urged
to take advantage of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to
acquire skills to improve their businesses.
Christian Brown, Programme
Officer of the Tema office of the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the Board
said this at a seminar for representatives of sector associations from Ashaiman
and Kpone.
He said
investigations indicated that most people in the informal sector were not
progressing because they lacked business techniques and called on them to take
advantage of the financial and technical assistance offered by NBSSI to improve
and expand their businesses.
The NBSSI Programme
Officer asked them to open business accounts as a requirement to qualify for
loans and said a monitoring team would also ensure that the facility if granted
would be properly utilised for the intended purpose.
NBSSI offers training
in record keeping, marketing, cost/pricing and management information among
other areas. The participants including dressmakers, carpenters, masons,
beauticians, poultry farmers and artisans expressed concern about the failure
of financial institutions to grant them loans and their displeasure over the
disbursement of the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF). Brown, however, briefed
them about the establishment, organisation and legitimacy of the NBSSI and
convinced them to go for training to enable them obtain loans later.
GRi.../
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Kumasi (Ashanti
Region) 14 April 203- Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports,
Harbours and Railways, on Friday called on the private sector to invest in the
nation's first Inland Port Project at Boankra in the Ejisu-Juaben district.
He gave the assurance
that the government would create an environment conducive for them in line with
the policy of "the Golden Age of Business". Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi
was opening a forum at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi on Friday, to discuss
strategies and options for financing the various facets of the project.
In attendance were
Shippers and agents from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, freight forwarders,
road haulers, chiefs, officials from the Customs, Excise and Prevention Service
(CEPS), Railways, the utility companies, the business community,
Parliamentarians and Assembly Members.
The Minister observed
that the project would boost the country's international trade and speed up the
distribution process between the southern and northern sectors of the country.
"Indeed, it will enhance the use of Ghana's corridor by our neighbouring
landlocked countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger for conducting their
international trade, which in the long run will help in achieving our desired
aim of becoming the gateway to the sub-region for maritime and transport
services".
He noted that the
Ministry, although new was aware that the development of the railway network
was crucial for not only mass transportation of people but also for the quick
movement of import and export cargo.
"The viability
of this project is largely dependent on an efficient rail system," the
Minister said, adding that, attention would be given to the development of the
railway system particularly to link the Inland Port.
Professor
Ameyaw-Akumfi said consultations had begun with interested partners with a view
of rehabilitating the Eastern Line to make it operational by the time the Inland
Port was in full gear.
Dr Richard W. Anane,
Minister of Roads and Highways, said the Inland Port, which would use the rail
for carrying about 80 percent of cargo would take off the strain from the
country's roads against the punishing effects of the increasing volumes of the
country's transit cargo.
He said from a modest
beginning of 8,600 tonnes of transit cargo, Ghana's total cargo transited last
year stood at 629,773 tonnes. Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers
Council, earlier in a welcoming address, noted that for the project to become
viable it was necessary to improve the rail system.
"It is therefore
important for the railways to rehabilitate and realign its tracks, acquire
purpose built vans, obtain container flat beds capable of carrying 20 footer
and 40 footer containers, adapt the self-steering buggies of the wagons and
have appropriate twist locks for safety."
He said with the area
for the project marked out, it was important for the district assembly to work
closely with the relevant land administration agencies to provide a planning
scheme for the entire area.
This way, there would
be a planned neighbourhood to forestall the springing up of shantytowns, filth
and squalor. Mbiah said on completion, the port would have facilities for
container landing and storage, warehouses, customs bonded areas, administration
block, railway marshalling yard, restaurants, fire station and utilities.
He said compensation
for land and crops had been paid, environmental impact assessment permit
obtained, clearing and fencing completed, relocation of the Boankra and Hwereso
schools done and the Master Plan prepared.
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