Advocacy groups receive
assistance
Ho, Nov. 28, GNA - A total of 33 advocacy groups on
Tuesday received 6.3 billion cedis from the Business
Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) to improve private
sector advocacy issues in the country.
The BUSAC Fund, jointly funded by DANIDA, DFID and
USAID, is dedicated to support the private sector to
contribute effectively to the evolvement of policies
to improve the business environment.
The beneficiary groups, which included the Ghana
Institute of Freight Forwarders, Ghana Tourism
Federation and the Ghana Co-operative Credit Unions
Association (CUA) received between 598.9 million
cedis and 18.2 million cedis.
The groups are supposed to use the amount given them
for advocacy programmes to reduce poverty and create
wealth.
In a speech read for him, Mr Alan Kyeremanten,
Minister of Trade, Industry and Private Sector
Development, stated that government remained
committed to providing an enabling environment that
is supportive of sustainable private sector growth.
He said it was in line of this objective that excise
duty on primary raw materials were reduced from 10
to five per cent and the abolishing of the national
reconstruction levy to support the private sector.
Mr Kyeremanten said the government had created a
stable macroeconomic environment to enable business
to grow and called on people in the sector to grab
the opportunity.
He enumerated a number of initiatives that had been
put in place for the business sector to create
wealth and reduce poverty and called on groups and
businessmen to take advantage of government
programmes to enhance their ventures.
Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister, commended
BUSAC for supporting the private sector advocacy
groups.
"There is no denying fact that the private sector
remains the key to the development of Ghana’s
economy", he added.
He tasked the private sector to do more to
accelerate the development of the economy.
The Regional Minister said the Regional Coordinating
Council was prepared to help private sector
operators to enable them to play their roles
effectively as "vehicles" of economic advancement in
the region.
Mr Dzamesi appealed to the management of the Fund to
step up its awareness drive to give opportunities to
private sector groups in the region.
Madam Judith Kwawukume, Assistant Fund Manageress in
an introductory address said a total of 700
applications for advocacy grants had been received
by BUSAC and that it has committed funds in excess
of 45 billion cedis to support private sector
advocacy initiatives from various associations
nationwide.
Mr David Nutakor, First Vice President of the Ghana
Institute of Freight Forwarders, expressed gratitude
to the Fund.
He was grateful to the sponsors and promised that
the money would be use for the purpose for which it
was given.
GNA
