Brong Ahafo holds business advocacy programme

Sunyani (B/A), March 15, GNA - A number of participants at a business advocacy and survey forum to assess the needs of some selected small business operators in the Brong- Ahafo Region, on Friday alleged that the accessing funds from the Microfinance And Small Loans Centre(MASLOC) in the region had taken a political dimension. "I submitted my business proposal for funding to MASLOC and I haven't received any reply," Nii Kwei, a participant from Berekum Bee-Keepers Association said, adding that from his investigations it appeared only applicants from a particular political party were being favourably considered.

The programme is designed to provide the media in the region with the right kind of information to enable them play their business advocacy role effectively with the support of BUSAC, GJA and KAB Governance Consult.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Mr. Kwesi Afriyie Badu, Chief Executive Officer of KAB Governance Consult and the Ghana Journalist Association(GJA) Process Consultant said the session brought out three out of the four thematic areas expected from participants during the dialogue and brainstorming session. The three areas which emerged from the discussion of participants include access to finance, roles of district and municipal assemblies and income tax issues.

Mr. Afriyie Badu, explained that as part of the media advocacy process, arrangements would be made in due course to bring in institutional heads on the areas to help address some of the issues raised by the entrepreneurs. Madam Beatrice Boakye, Brong-Ahafo Regional Head of the National Board for Small Scale Industries, encouraged the participants to always voice out their concerns to the media to enable them project their views.

Mr. Charles Koomson, Regional Chairman, Ghana Journalist Association and the Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency, reiterated the need for them to channel the problems they encountered in their operations to the media as it was one of the objectives of the government to promote the private sector. Mr. Berfi Mensah, Regional Chairman, Association of Small Scale Industries(ASSI), appealed to the participants to team up in the various communities to make the process of forwarding their grievances to the national authorities easier.