NBSSI to open more advisory centres in Ashanti

The National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) is to open Business Advisory Centres (BAC) in all the 18 districts of the Ashanti Region by the end of 2002 to offer advice, training and extension services to small-scale businessmen and women.

Mr Saeed Owusu-Brobbey, Ashanti Regional Manager of the NBSSI, said the board has already established BACs at Offinso, Ejura-Sekyedumase, Afigya-Sekyere, Sekyere East and West Districts.

He was speaking at the closing session of a four-day seminar on business planning and management appreciation organised jointly by the Kumasi office of the BAC and Ghana Food Crops Processors Association in Kumasi last Friday.

It was to assist some 25 small-scale food processors to improve on their entrepreneurial and managerial skills to ensure the growth and survival of their businesses.

Mr Owusu-Brobbey said the government was very much concerned with the development of small-scale business enterprises because of their role in national economic growth, and advised small-scale entrepreneurs not to hesitate to contact the BAC for assistance.

He appealed to the government to establish special a small-scale enterprises bank solely for the financial needs of micro- and small-scale businessmen and women to effectively improve on their businesses.

Mr Joseph Oppong-Ofori, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Food Crops Processors Association, noted that food processing plays a crucial role in the preparation of dishes in every human society.

He, therefore, stressed the need for the government to focus its attention on this sector and assist those concerned with financial support to purchase quality machines for their operations.

Madam Beatrice Boakye, Head of the Kumasi Business Advisory Centre, said the seminar was unique because the NBSSI collaborated with resource persons from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust to educate the participants on the SSNIT pension scheme.

She said officers from the Ghana Standards Board and Biochemistry Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology educated them on quality assurance and better hygiene practices.

Mr Kwame Buor, Chairman of the Association of Small-Scale Industries, asked the participants to put what they had learnt into practice.