Financial institutions and enterprises deepen cooperation

Sunyani, May 17, GNA - A day's seminar aimed at deepening the level of understanding and cooperation between financial institutions and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Brong Ahafo Region has ended in Sunyani.

Rural Trade and Industry Promotion Project (RUTIPP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Sunyani Municipal Assembly organised the seminar.

About 70 participants from financial institutions, MSMEs and other business entities in the region attended the seminar, on the theme: "Financial Instruments For Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises". Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister said any country that failed to empower its private sector could not achieve socio-economic development hence the commitment of the Kufuor Administration to improve on the sector.

Mr Kofi Afresah Nuhu, an official at the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced plans by the Ministry to create three job avenues in every district by 2010.

He said there was the need to make business opportunities visible in order to help the MSMEs to improve on their business capacities. Throwing more light on the seminar, Mr Kwabena Brobbey Owusu- Sekyere, Advisor for Business Development Services of the GTZ said Government was committed to the implementation of programmes that would reduce disparities between the incomes and standard of living of rural and urban populations, hence the introduction of RUTIPP.