Minister charges National Board for Small Scale Industries to be more innovative to grow SMEs

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Samuel Nuertey Ayertey has challenged the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to be more innovative and help more small and medium scale industries in Ghana to grow.

According to the Deputy Minister, the Government recognizes that the medium and small scale business sector has the potential to contribute substantially to reduce the high unemployment rate and also help the growth of Ghana’s economy, hence the establishment of NBSSI by an Act of the Parliament (Act 434 of 1981) to regulate the sector.

Speaking at the Trade and Exhibition show organized by the NBSSI at Suhum in the Eastern Region, Hon. Nuertey Ayertey indicated that much is expected of the Board to maximise the contribution of small businesses to the country’s economic and social development with respect to production, income distribution and employment and the closer integration of women and people in rural areas into the national economy.

The exhibition show which sought to showcase the various products by some Small and Medium Enterprises saw some dignitaries present including the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister and District Chief Executives.

“Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the major driving force of economic growth and therefore growth and development as well as socio-economic paradigm shift cannot happen without them”.

Hon. Samuel Nuertey Ayertey indicated that SMEs had proven to be effective in fighting poverty in many countries and continue to serve as building blocks for enhancing innovation, competitiveness, entrepreneurship and the fostering of a system that formed the basis for sustainable growth.

He said, in the quest of this government to realize the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda, it (the government) has prioritized the development of SMEs through the modeling and framing of deliberate policies to develop the sector.

The trade and exhibition show created the platform for numerous individuals and small enterprises who had the opportunity to showcase their products to buyers.

The Deputy Minister assured the participants that government is putting in place the necessary institutional mechanisms that will consolidate all the support services being offered to SMEs under a single entity which would be mandated to offer services in areas of financing, capacity building and technology transfer.

"If a country can pursue its development agenda independent of foreign aid, then there has to be a deliberate measures both by the government and institutions like NBSSI to create an enabling environment for businesses, especially the small, medium and micro to thrive" he stated.