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DANIDA, DFID, USAID support BUSAC Fund with 20
million dollars
Wa, Sept. 01, Ghanadot/GNA – The
Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund is to invest
20 million dollars into the private sector, under its phase
II project next year, Madam Judith H. Kwawukume, Deputy
BUSAC Fund Manager has announced.
The Danish International Development Agency in collaboration
with the Department for International Development and United
States Agency for International Development provided funds
for BUSAC to promote economic activities in the private
sector, which had been identified as the engine of growth.
She said the Fund had disbursed 10.9 million dollars to
business groups, associations and individuals under its
phase I project, which would end this year.
Madam Kwawukume was speaking at a BUSAC Fund sensitization
workshop organised for district chief executives, district
coordinating directors, planning officers and police as well
as private business representatives in the Upper West
Region, to seek their valued inputs to maintain a steady
course that would promote the economy.
She said many of the beneficiary associations had succeeded
in their advocacy roles, resolving the problems and barriers
facing their members, which had helped increased incomes and
revenue of the district assemblies.
Madam Kwawukume said the funds were given to business
associations on behalf of the three development partners in
the form of grants, and also developed the capacity of the
beneficiaries, using advocacy to create positive change in
the enabling environment within the business sector.
She said business associations in the Volta and Greater
Accra Regions had benefited immensely from the Fund, but
expressed her dissatisfaction at the low patronage from
their counterparts in the Upper West, Upper East and
Northern Regions.
She therefore called on business entities in the northern
regions to take advantage of the fund for the progress and
growth of their businesses.
Mr. Kale Cezar, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, urged
the participants to provide best practices and suggestions
to BUSAC for the private sector to grow.
He emphasised that the growing unemployment situation in the
country was attributed to a weak private sector that
otherwise should have employed some of the school leavers
and skilled personnel in the system.
He pointed out that the over-reliance on formal sector for
employment was a burden and cannot be sustainable.
Mr. Cezar urged district assemblies to identify alternative
ways and means of enacting some relevant bye-laws and other
pragmatic measures to encourage the growth to work with the
private sector in their communities.
“One of the easiest things we can do is to create land banks
and to set aside areas purposely for the establishment of
industries,” Mr. Cezar said.
The Deputy Regional Minister also advised district
assemblies to involve and encourage civil society
organisations as well as advocacy groups in their policies
and programmes formulations and implementations to benefit
the people.
GNA
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