Jumah Pledges to Build Economy of Kumasi.

Mr Maxwell Jumah, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), says his priority is to build the economy of Kumasi in such a way that it would be easy to do business in the Metropolis.

He has, therefore, asked that Kumasi should be put on the Internet.

Mr Jumah was speaking during a call on him by the Ashanti Regional Executive of the Association of Small-Scale Industries (ASSI) to congratulate him on his appointment.

He noted that the prosperity of every nation depended on small-scale businesses, pointing out that the economic base of the Metropolis emanates from small-scale businesses, which has accounted for the popularity of Kumasi."My major challenge is how to move the small-scale businesses to alevel

comparable elsewhere", he said, adding that he would introduce an "incubator" system to take care of all registered businesses in the Metropolis.

The incubator system, he said, would take care of putting finishing touches to locally manufactured items, which could then be marketed in any part of the globe.

Mr Jumah told the ASSI Executive that all kiosks presently littered over the Metropolis would be demolished and replaced with new ones with the same design and one colour to give a new look to the Metropolis and assured the association that they would be given priority in the allocation.

Mr Saeed Owusu-Brobbey, Ashanti Regional Manager of National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) said the immediate concern of the board is to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by bringing all barbers operating in the Metropolis together to educate them on the dangers posed by their trade. He said, even though, the barbers have an association, there were still a lot of itinerant ones who need to be educated and, therefore, asked the KMA to enact a bylaw which would enable them take advantage of the training programmes of NBSSI and the Ministry of Health.

Mr Kwame Buor, Ashanti Regional Chairman of ASSI, said the call was to welcome him (MCE) to the seat and let him know about the existence of the association.

The Reverend S. K. Fugah, a member of the association said their major problem was with the securing of loans to expand their businesses since they do not have collateral and expressed the hope that the MCE would assist them.