SMEs urged to use the coronavirus alleviation fund for its purpose

Mr Kwadwo Banahene Bediako, District Chief Executive for Sekyere Central, has advised people who will have access to the COVID-19 alleviation fund to use it for its intended purposes.

He said the fund, which had been established by the government to support micro, small and medium scale businesses, which had been hit by the coronavirus pandemic was not a gift but a soft loan, which was payable.

It was therefore important for would-be beneficiaries to understand and use it to support their businesses to grow and expand to improve on their incomes and livelihoods.

Mr Bediako gave the advice at a meeting organized by the district secretariat of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) Business Advisory Centre (BAC) for carrot, green pepper and cabbage farmers in the district at Nsuta.

The meeting was to sensitize the farmers on how they could access the fund to support their activities.

Mr Bediako said the outbreak of the pandemic had brought untold hardship to businesses including farmers who found it difficult to market their products since most markets in the country have been closed.

He said the fund would help the farmers to maintain and expand their farms while preserving their products.

Mr. Thomas Fofie, District Manager of NBSSI, said every Ghanaian doing business was qualified to access the fund, adding that, what was important was for them to have tax identification numbers.