Business owners urged to acquire knowledge

The Director for Research, Statistics and Information Management at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, William Kartey has urged business owners to acquire knowledge in order to run their businesses effectively.

He said “it is important for business owners to be well-informed and educated to run their businesses effectively.” He added that in as much as the sector ministry has worked hard to create an enabling environment and implement sound policies to support businesses, business owners should find creative ways to support the ministry.

He added that entrepreneurship, which has been the engine of Ghana’s economy, has also created employment and generated income for households and revenue for governments. Mr. Kartey disclosed this at the opening ceremony of West African Business Expo themed, “Kick-starting& sustaining business growth.”

The two-day Business Expo, the first of its kind, comprised a conference and an exhibition. The Business Expo, held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), which brought together about 200 entrepreneurs and business consultants from Nigeria and Ghana, ended on September 6, 2013.

Mr. Kartey commended the organisers of the event, Hak Solutions and Geovision for organising the event for businesses to access information to help them make informed decisions. He also encouraged local and foreign businesses to support the Expo and learn new strategies to run their businesses.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Office (CEO) of Hak Solution, Harriet Adabla, said the event was geared towards gathering business consultants and entrepreneurs who would bring out ideas that would help sustain businesses.

She added that the participants interacted with seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals who would contribute to the sustainable growth of businesses in West Africa.

“We have noticed that local businesses in West Africa are unable to compete with foreign competitors. This is because we don’t have structures to absorb the capacity and the capability of the business,” she said.

She noted that participants, after the event, would be challenged to compete with foreign competitors, adding that they would also gain understanding in setting up businesses.