<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Archives - Sweet Melodies FM</title> <atom:link href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/small-and-medium-enterprises-smes/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/small-and-medium-enterprises-smes/</link> <description>Keeping You Sanctified Morning, Noon and Night!</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2022 01:43:10 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <image> <url>https://i0.wp.com/www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-Sweet-Melodies-FM_text_favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1</url> <title>Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Archives - Sweet Melodies FM</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/tag/small-and-medium-enterprises-smes/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>KCB commits KShs.250b to fund women entrepreneurs in Kenya</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/kcb-commits-kshs-250b-to-fund-women-entrepreneurs-in-kenya/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2022 01:43:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Global Trade]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[KCB Bank Kenya]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kenya]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[women entrepreneurs]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=80417</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>KCB Bank Kenya has set aside KShs. 250 billion to fund women entrepreneurs in the next five years, cementing the Bank’s role in catalyzing economic growth. In a newly revamped women offering, the Bank will extend the funding to women-led and owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country. To unlock this, KCB Bank […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/kcb-commits-kshs-250b-to-fund-women-entrepreneurs-in-kenya/">KCB commits KShs.250b to fund women entrepreneurs in Kenya</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>KCB Bank Kenya has set aside KShs. 250 billion to fund women entrepreneurs in the next five years, cementing the Bank’s role in catalyzing economic growth. In a newly revamped women offering, the Bank will extend the funding to women-led and owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country.</strong></p> <p>To unlock this, KCB Bank has already eased credit requirements and documentation such as security to support businesses in a transformation that will guarantee faster loan processing periods. Additionally, women entrepreneurs will be able to get non-financial support extended by partner organizations. Under the KShs.50 billion a year platform, Female-Led and Made Enterprises- FLME, KCB Bank seeks to support entrepreneurship, job creation, and strengthen its outreach towards unique market segments like businesses owned or run by women.</p> <p>Paul Russo, CEO, KCB Group: ”KCB believes that the MSME sector bears the biggest influence on the economic trajectory of East Africa. We consider this sub-sector as a promising development frontier. We are reimagining the way we engage with women entrepreneurs to enable them better overcome business challenges by providing working capital and other critical non-financial needs to sustain their growth. Women are running some of the most transformative business enterprises in Kenya which we see as the conglomerates of the future. At the same time, they face a lot of obstacles, like limited access to credit facilities, labor and skill gaps, exclusion from key networks, as well as social and legal constraints. What we are now doing is mainstreaming this agenda by widening the net to enable more women entrepreneurs to get access to the critical business support touchpoints.”</p> <p>Data shows that almost 80% of women-owned businesses have limited or no access to credit. They lack collateral or proper documentation to access credit facilities.</p> <p>”When a woman wants to start or grow her own business, the odds of securing a business loan are heavily stacked against her. We are relaxing some of the requirements as a solution to addressing inequality in accessing credit finance,” he added.</p> <p>KCB has been intentional in ensuring diversity and inclusion by focusing on internal and external programmes, in this case to support the women agenda. To affirm this commitment, KCB is deliberate on its women proposition journey that is aligned with the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goals No 1, 8, 10 and 17 which focus on No Poverty, Decent Work & Economic Growth, Reduced Inequality and Partnerships respectively.</p> <p>”We see these four goals as critical in fostering an enabling environment in which women can meaningfully participate and thrive in the economy,” said Russo.</p> <p>The Bank’s key commitment is on increasing the value of loans disbursed to women and increasing the spend targeting special groups such as persons living with disabilities. The Bank targets to achieve gender parity in staff composition across all management and Board levels. In the long run, FLME will play a critical role in creating local and international market linkages that will go a long way in empowering and catalyzing women entrepreneurship both locally and regionally.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://ke.kcbgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www..kcbgroup.com</a></strong></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/kcb-commits-kshs-250b-to-fund-women-entrepreneurs-in-kenya/">KCB commits KShs.250b to fund women entrepreneurs in Kenya</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>SMEs don’t transform economy without deliberate investment – Prof Bokpin</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-dont-transform-economy-without-deliberate-investment-prof-bokpin/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2022 17:57:44 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Godfred A. Bokpin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[investment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[University of Ghana]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=80241</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, Godfred A. Bokpin has argued that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) cannot contribute to the country’s economic transformation until there is a deliberate investment into that space. He holds that until there is a conscious effort in growing some of the SMEs to become global regional businesses, […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-dont-transform-economy-without-deliberate-investment-prof-bokpin/">SMEs don’t transform economy without deliberate investment – Prof Bokpin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, Godfred A. Bokpin has argued that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) cannot contribute to the country’s economic transformation until there is a deliberate investment into that space.</strong></p> <p>He holds that until there is a conscious effort in growing some of the SMEs to become global regional businesses, their efforts would not yield much.</p> <p>“In this country, it has never been our goal to grow and nurture domestic capital the same way we like foreign capital. Where did we sit with the domestic Ghanaian private sector and say this is what we have, how can we assist you?</p> <p>We are always here deceiving ourselves with SMEs. SMEs don’t transform an economy. SMEs do not produce complex things. The world thrives on margins and margins come by adding value. Until we are conscious of growing some of our SMEs for some of them to become global regional businesses, we are not going anywhere. Pick the lucrative sectors of this economy and Ghana is visibly absent,” he said.</p> <p>He made a strong case that our leaders who are mostly politicians failed to grow the private sector and SMEs for that matter because they are “afraid of a powerful domestic private sector”.</p> <p>“Right from independence, the average Ghanaian politician has been afraid of a powerful domestic private sector because of the role money plays in politics. So we are more open to facilitating foreign capital because we think they will not play a role in politics. If we have done this level of injustice to ourselves, how do you turn around and cry for going to IMF 17 times,” he lamented.</p> <p>“As a country, we have not been able to put in place the right measures and institutions that will ensure the necessary fiscal restraint and drive efficiencies. Therefore anytime there are these challenges, we needed an external anchor. Data supports that anytime we go to the IMF, we get some level of macroeconomic stability but we are not able to sustain that. However, macroeconomic stability is not an end in itself but a means to an end. That is why nobody should expect the IMF to come and transform their economy,” he added.</p> <p>He added that: “The best-helping hand that the country can find lies with itself” and that there is the need to sit “and conceptualize where we want Ghana to be and how we want to get there and how to track that.”</p> <p>Professor Bokpin further indicated that the blueprint Dr. Kwame Nkrumah took to the IMF is similar to that of subsequent Presidents, which shows that our issues and challenges such as high expenditure, low revenue, and so on are predictable, hence, called for proactive efforts, intentional and pragmatic measures to salvage the situations.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-dont-transform-economy-without-deliberate-investment-prof-bokpin/">SMEs don’t transform economy without deliberate investment – Prof Bokpin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>60 manufacturing SMEs will benefit from a German-funded grant</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/60-manufacturing-smes-will-benefit-from-a-german-funded-grant/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:14:13 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Economic Cooperation and Development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[German Federal Ministry]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=74171</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Sixty Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country are set to benefit from a German government-funded grant that seeks to create sustainable jobs The SME grant scheme for job creation, ‘Invest for Jobs’, is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI). Its […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/60-manufacturing-smes-will-benefit-from-a-german-funded-grant/">60 manufacturing SMEs will benefit from a German-funded grant</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Sixty Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country are set to benefit from a German government-funded grant that seeks to create sustainable jobs</strong></p> <p>The SME grant scheme for job creation, ‘Invest for Jobs’, is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).</p> <div class="td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-content_inlineleft tdi_2 td_block_template_11"> <div class="td-visible-desktop"></div> </div> <p>Its objective is to provide a comprehensive demand-based support package to 60 growth-oriented SMEs in the manufacturing sector, to enhance their productivity, efficiency, competitiveness, innovation and job creation.</p> <p>SMEs under the project will receive technical training as well as financial assistance for the procurement of critical machinery, tools and equipment needed for core operations of their businesses.</p> <p>According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the manufacturing sector is the fourth-largest sector of the Ghanaian economy, and represents about 92 percent of establishments in Ghana’s industry sector.</p> <p>Manufacturing also contributed GH¢19,195million to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, representing 10.44 percent of GDP in 2019, and remains one of the major sources of employment for the nations’ workforce – accounting for 18.6 percent of total employment.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-sensitized-on-green-economy/">SMEs sensitized on Green Economy</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/digitalisation-and-capital-pivotal-to-sustaining-smes-in-covid-19-era/">Digitalisation and Capital, pivotal to sustaining SMEs in COVID-19 era</a></li> </ul> <p>The project was officially inaugurated during the opening session of the first in a series of 3-day training workshops held in Accra. The SMEs will receive training in supply chain management and financial management during the workshop. The workshop will also serve as an opportunity for peer-learning among the SMEs.</p> <p>During the event, the Team Leader of Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation (Invest for Jobs), John Duti, explained that: “One of ‘Invest for Jobs’ key objectives is to enhance the productivity and job-creation capacities of Ghanaian SMEs through the implementation of demand-driven support measures”.</p> <p>Mr. Duti added: “We are therefore very excited to partner with the AGI – one of the largest member-based organisations, whose support to development of the industrial sector over the years must not be underestimated – in putting together this project to promote the full potential of these SMEs, particularly in the area of job creation. By the end of 2022, we expect to create at least 120 jobs through this project”.</p> <p>On his part, CEO of the AGI, Seth Twum-Akwaboah, welcomed the intervention by GIZ as timely and urged the beneficiary SMEs to take full advantage for the benefit of their various businesses. He stressed that the AGI will continue working with GIZ to extend the intervention, based on successes to be chalked up with the current project.</p> <p>Some SMEs expressed their optimism that the combination of technical and financial support will go a long way to boost their productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. The remaining workshops will be held in three other zones: namely Kumasi, Sunyani and Tamale within the next 4 weeks.</p> <p>The initiative on training and Job creation – operating under the brand ‘Invest for Jobs’ – is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, among others.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/60-manufacturing-smes-will-benefit-from-a-german-funded-grant/">60 manufacturing SMEs will benefit from a German-funded grant</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>SMEs sensitized on Green Economy</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-sensitized-on-green-economy/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:28:40 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[A. Rocha Ghana]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Businesses in Environmental Stewardship Network (BESNet)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[green economy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social Entrepreneurship Hub-Ghana (SE Hub)]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Western Region]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=67589</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Social Entrepreneurship Hub-Ghana (SE Hub) in collaboration with the Businesses in Environmental Stewardship Network (BESNet) of A ROCHA Ghana have held a day’s workshop for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Western Region to understand and appreciate green economy in Ghana. The workshop was geared toward motivating participants to be innovative and adopt […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-sensitized-on-green-economy/">SMEs sensitized on Green Economy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The Social Entrepreneurship Hub-Ghana (SE Hub) in collaboration with the Businesses in Environmental Stewardship Network (BESNet) of A ROCHA Ghana have held a day’s workshop for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Western Region to understand and appreciate green economy in Ghana.</strong></p> <p>The workshop was geared toward motivating participants to be innovative and adopt greener ways of doing business, build skills to assess their impact and dependencies to make informed decisions, as well as encourage participants to serve as advocates for green economy and circular economy.</p> <p>Participants were taken through topics like, introduction to natural capital assessment, definition of green economy and the role of businesses with group works on how they can apply lessons learnt to their business operation to boost revenue and performance.</p> <p>Madam Mina Pokua Agyemang, Corporate Engagement Officer of A ROCHA Ghana, mentioned greenhouse gas emissions, land management, waste, disturbances (noise, light), water extraction and management, ground water discharge and other discharges to the soil as natural capital impacts.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/my-commitment-to-fighting-corruption-is-steadfast-president/">My commitment to fighting corruption is steadfast – President</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/deputy-minister-of-lands-leads-delegation-from-sudan-to-western-region/">Deputy Minister of Lands leads delegation from Sudan to Western Region</a> <p>She indicated that “business activities could be dependent on specific features of natural capital and for that matter knowing how changes affect business activities help you identify the cost of doing business”.</p> <p>Mr Micheal Kofi Abrokwa, Energy Expert for the SE Hub who took participants through Green Economy, said the impacts of climate change was not evenly distributed as poorest countries and people would suffer earliest and more, while the benefits of strong and early action on climate change outweighed the costs.</p> <p>According to him, climate change threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world such as access to water, food production, health, and use of land and the environment.</p> <p>He noted that Ghana has experienced one of the highest deforestation rates of two per cent per annum in the world.</p> <p>“Socially, green economy strategies would lead to a five per cent poverty reduction by 2030, representing two per cent lower level than the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario in 2030,” he emphasized.</p> <p>He lamented that there were irreversible damages to the environment and hence, the need to embrace green economy policies that were aimed at controlling the society, the economy and the environment.</p> <p>Mr Abrokwa pointed out that 75 per cent of the investment in the green economy was expected to come from the private sector to complement public sector financing.</li> </ul> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/smes-sensitized-on-green-economy/">SMEs sensitized on Green Economy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Digitalisation and Capital, pivotal to sustaining SMEs in COVID-19 era</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/digitalisation-and-capital-pivotal-to-sustaining-smes-in-covid-19-era/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2021 14:47:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Coronavirus Pandemic]]></category> <category><![CDATA[COVID-19 era]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Digitalisation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=67239</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>With the Coronavirus pandemic impacting on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)some entrepreneurs at a panel discussion have advocated an ease in capital acquisition and digitilisation as the armour for sustaining their businesses. SMEs are the backbone of Ghana’s economy from pre-colonial times to date, contributing nearly 70 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/digitalisation-and-capital-pivotal-to-sustaining-smes-in-covid-19-era/">Digitalisation and Capital, pivotal to sustaining SMEs in COVID-19 era</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>With the Coronavirus pandemic impacting on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)some entrepreneurs at a panel discussion have advocated an ease in capital acquisition and digitilisation as the armour for sustaining their businesses.</strong></p> <p>SMEs are the backbone of Ghana’s economy from pre-colonial times to date, contributing nearly 70 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but are the hardest hit by the pandemic with uncertain future, if stringent measures were not sought to cushion them.</p> <p>Speaking at the second edition of the Access Bank/Graphic Communications Group Limited engagement with SMEs in Kumasi on Wednesday, Dr Boris Badu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boris B. Farms, said the inability of businesses to create a real-time ambience for their goods and services following the COVID-19 outbreak prompted them to turn to effective digital marketing techniques to stay afloat.</p> <p>The engagement which was streamed online, was aimed at equipping SMEs with digital solutions as a strategy to adapt to emerging market demands arising amid the coronavirus pandemic.</p> <p>It was held on the theme: “Championing the growth of SMEs through digitalization – Madwuma Mpontuo”.</p> <p>The business mogul, said the success of businesses depended heavily on financial support received by business owners and called on financial institutions to ease the burden of businesses, by making access to credit flexible.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/every-stage-of-my-life-has-landed-me-where-i-am-diana-hamilton/">Every stage of my life has landed me where I am – Diana Hamilton</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/hollard-life-launches-mebanb-micro-insurance-product/">Hollard Life launches MeBanb micro-insurance product</a></li> </ul> <p>He also stressed the need to substantially reduce imports and promote exports while increasing domestic production of poultry to correct the Country’s balance of payments deficit, create employment to increase revenue to stimulate economic growth.</p> <p>With respect to the issue of frozen chicken, Mr Badu regretted the country’s penchant to spend millions of dollars, importing poultry, “yet our poultry farmers have the capacity to produce poultry to feed this country.</p> <p>“What is more encouraging is the fact that we have the capacity to develop a new value chain for poultry farming which includes processing, sales and marketing and even consider exports. “We can do a lot for this nation, if banks support us”, he added.</p> <p>Mr Badu also stressed the importance of business documentation as a leading factor to the successes of businesses, and noted that the lack of it prevented many entrepreneurs from accessing government stimulus packages for the poultry industry to help stimulate the Country’s economy.</p> <p>The Commercial Manager of IPay, Mr. Kojo Lartey, a panel member of the SME Clinic, noted that, access to capital was pivotal for businesses to succeed and commended Access bank for its innovative digital solutions to businesses.</p> <p>Mr Joseph Albert Quarm, the CEO of Prof Quarm Publications reiterated the easiness in accessing finance as key and emphasised the importance of employing digitalization for business communication adding that virtual communication had become the standard for running businesses efficiently.</p> <p>He also called on business owners to take keen interest in documentation, regular assessment of business progress, diversification and digitilisation to sustain their businesses and pleaded with business owners to take succession plans seriously, to ensure business continuity when owners were no longer in active service.</p> <p>Mr Baba Adams, the CEO of B. Adams Trading Enterprise Limited, cautioned business owners to be vigilant and take precaution as they entered into the digital space.</p> <p>“Digitalization is great but be cautious of the digital space, as many fraudulent activities take place there”, he warned and urged them to use recommended digital solutions to prevent being exposed to such fraudulent acts.</p> <p>Mr Seth Twum Akwaboah, CEO of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) called on businesses to strategically position themselves to benefit from every opportunity they were exposed to, noting that, “Challenges were bound to come but a business which strategically position itself always emerge the victor”.</p> <p>Mr Twum Akwaboah encouraged business owners to seek support from the appropriate quarters whenever they faced challenges in their businesses.</p> <p>Mr. Kenneth Adjei-Fah, Manager for Adum Ghana Revenue Authority, a panelist, outlined GRA’s digital platforms and guided participants, through the processes of filing and making tax payments, at the comfort of their homes.</p> <p>Delivering his welcoming address for the event, Mr Stephen Abban, the Divisional Head of Retail Banking at Access Bank Ghana praised the outstanding contributions of SMEs to the mainstay of Ghana’s economy.</p> <p>He indicated that more than 90 percent of registered jobs in the country were SMEs, providing over 80 percent jobs to people.</p> <p>For that matter, he said Access Bank was determined to champion the growth of SMEs through the provision of innovative digital solutions to keep businesses relevant, thriving and competitive.</p> <p>The Divisional Head of Retail Banking advised business owners to adopt digitalization, get the right advisory services and explore new opportunities available.</p> <p>“Access Bank has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable business practices, driving profitable and sustainable growth that is environmentally responsible and socially relevant since its inception”, he indicated.</p> <p>Paramount chief of Domeabra, who represented the President of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs, Baffour Owusu Bediako, thanked the Bank and Graphic Communications, for ensuring Kumasi benefitted from the clinic.</p> <p>He advised participants to heed to every advice received from the clinic and take advantage of such platforms to grow their businesses.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/digitalisation-and-capital-pivotal-to-sustaining-smes-in-covid-19-era/">Digitalisation and Capital, pivotal to sustaining SMEs in COVID-19 era</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Focus on SMEs to create more employment opportunities</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/focus-on-smes-to-create-more-employment-opportunities/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2021 12:47:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[employment opportunities]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Managing Director of Participatory Development Associates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mr Edem Agbe]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=65836</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Mr Edem Agbe, Managing Director of Participatory Development Associates, has urged Government to focus on helping Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to grow and build resilience to create more employment opportunities. He said SMEs were the true drivers of the economy, as such, if they received the needed support, they would take the burden of […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/focus-on-smes-to-create-more-employment-opportunities/">Focus on SMEs to create more employment opportunities</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p><strong>Mr Edem Agbe, Managing Director of Participatory Development Associates, has urged Government to focus on helping Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to grow and build resilience to create more employment opportunities.</strong></p> <p>He said SMEs were the true drivers of the economy, as such, if they received the needed support, they would take the burden of job creation off the shoulders of Government.</p> <p>“Governments do not create jobs, they rather create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. If SMEs have the capacity to employ more, the burden of creating jobs would be off the shoulders of government. SMEs need all the available support to be resilient and withstand shocks like the COVID pandemic,” he said.</p> <p>Mr Agbe made the remarks during a Research Dissemination Workshop organized by PDA in partnership with The Overseas Development Institute (ODI).</p> <p>It was on the theme: “Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experiences of female-led Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises in Ghana.”</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/government-committed-to-promoting-political-tolerance-ambrose-dery/" target="_blank">Government committed to promoting political tolerance— Ambrose Dery</a></li></ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/government-to-pay-for-siamese-twins-separation-surgery/" target="_blank">Government to pay for siamese twins separation surgery</a></li></ul> <p>The event created a platform for female entrepreneurs to interact and deepen their relationship with Government agencies such as Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), formerly NBSSI and Ministry of Trade and Industry, and other development partners.</p> <p>It also allowed participants to share experiences on the state of their businesses during and after the COVID-19 lockdown period, their challenges and seek for solutions.</p> <p>The Managing Director said the research project sought to provide robust evidence on how the pandemic had affected women-led SMEs, how they were adapting and navigating through the financial shocks and the measures they had put in place to come out strong.</p> <p>“This event will help the agencies present to get a direct feedback from the female business owners they work with and be informed as to how to draft future policy frameworks to meet their needs. The people would also get to hear from the agencies directly and know how to package themselves well to benefit immensely from the services of the agencies,” he said.</p> <p>Mr Agbe said last month, PDA launched the Youth Business Performance and Sustainability Index which would become a framework or evidence base for agencies to track how businesses they supported were thriving.</p> <p>Mr Alex Afram, Programme Coordinator of PDA and Co-lead of the Research work said they found out that many women-led SMES struggled to access support from formal financial institutions during the COVID era.</p> <p>He said most of them could not get access to these assistance due to documentation and business registration related issues such as lack of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and absence of business registration records.</p> <p>As such, these women had to either rely on their savings, which had depleted over time or on informal networks for support.</p> <p>Mr Afram said the research indicated that most women-led businesses did not have any clear strategy or risk management contingency plan to withstand unexpected economic hardships.</p> <p>He called on Government and other development partners to improve access to finance and financial services through tailor-made and flexible financing products for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs).<br><br>The Programme Coordinator called for the sensitization of MSMEs and provide the necessary business registration processes to improve their access to financing and relief packages.<br><br>He said Government should prioritize digital skills training to bridge the digital skills gap and promote digital technology penetration among MSMEs.<br><br>“Government needs to invest in digital infrastructure in rural and peri-urban areas and reduce the cost of internet data to enhance digital inclusion. They must equally provide capacity-building to MSMEs to make them growth-oriented and resilient, and finally establish and promote knowledge-sharing networks for female-led MSMEs,” he said.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/focus-on-smes-to-create-more-employment-opportunities/">Focus on SMEs to create more employment opportunities</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Business Resource Centre trains SMEs on bookkeeping</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/business-resource-centre-trains-smes-on-bookkeeping/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2021 14:04:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Resource Centre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Northern Region]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sagnarigu Municipality]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=64213</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>A training on bookkeeping and banking culture has been organised for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region to hone their skills to improve their operations. The training is under the auspices of the Business Resource Centre of the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly and a total of 800 SMEs, who […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/business-resource-centre-trains-smes-on-bookkeeping/">Business Resource Centre trains SMEs on bookkeeping</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p><strong>A training on bookkeeping and banking culture has been organised for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region to hone their skills to improve their operations.</strong></p> <p>The training is under the auspices of the Business Resource Centre of the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly and a total of 800 SMEs, who are into agribusiness, manufacturing, services and trading in the municipality.</p> <p>They have been put into groups where each group will go through the training in a day, and within the next three weeks, all of them will be trained.</p> <p>Mr Abdul-Rahaman Dawda, General Manager of the Business Resource Centre, Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly, who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA) about the training at Sagnarigu, said the training became necessary after it was observed that the SMEs lacked managerial skills to boost their operations.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/digital-media-can-reduce-unemployment-rate/" target="_blank">Digital media can reduce unemployment rate</a></li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/businesses-urged-to-adopt-flexible-operational-strategy-in-crisis/" target="_blank">Businesses urged to adopt flexible operational strategy in crisis</a></li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/stakeholders-pledged-support-for-digital-media/" target="_blank">Stakeholders pledged support for Digital Media</a></li></ul> <p>Mr Dawda said “These are SMEs, who have come to register their businesses with the Sagnarigu Municipal Business Resource Centre.</p> <p>So, we have done diagnosis on their businesses and we have observed that most of them lack managerial skills.</p> <p>”He said “we are providing managerial services to them to boost their skills in their entrepreneurship.</p> <p>So, we are doing bookkeeping training and banking culture so they can have bank accounts to record their savings at the banks.</p> <p>And we want them to have records of all activities they do in their businesses.”He was optimistic that the training would boost the skills and techniques of the beneficiary SMEs in their various businesses, adding “This can boost the local economy.</p> <p>”Mr Dawda spoke about the importance of the SMEs in the business sector saying “Government has observed that the only way to grow the economy is through private sector participation and has industrialisation policy and using the Business Resource Centres as one of the steps to realise the industrialisation agenda.</p> <p>”He added that “So, we are working to grow the SMEs.</p> <p>We hope that after the training, SMEs will be equipped to do their businesses better and to increase their profits and this should help grow the economy.</p> <p>”He said “One of our key mandates is to facilitate funding for SMEs.</p> <p>So, all our clients, who need funds, we will facilitate for them to get funds after the training through our participating financial institutions.</p> <p>”He called on all SMEs operating in the area to register their businesses with the office to receive support to improve their businesses.</p> <p>Madam Rashida Abubakari, a dealer in general merchants, who was part of the trainees, said most of the SMEs did not write down activities they undertook as part of their businesses and they often forgot their transactions leading to loss of revenue.</p> <p>She lauded the training and said writing or keeping records of their activities would help, in the sense that, they would not forget any of their transactions especial those that they sold items to on credit.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/business-resource-centre-trains-smes-on-bookkeeping/">Business Resource Centre trains SMEs on bookkeeping</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>SNV Ghana launches GrEEn Acceleration Programme</title> <link>https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/snv-ghana-launches-green-acceleration-programme/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:27:42 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[GrEEn Acceleration Programme]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Innohub]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) Ghana]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/?p=62492</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) Ghana, in collaboration with Innohub, has launched the Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Acceleration Programme to make businesses ready for investment support and develop contributions to the green economy. The launch, which brought together industry experts, SMEs and other support stakeholders on the theme: “Business Expansion into […]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/snv-ghana-launches-green-acceleration-programme/">SNV Ghana launches GrEEn Acceleration Programme</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p><strong>The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) Ghana, in collaboration with Innohub, has launched the Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Acceleration Programme to make businesses ready for investment support and develop contributions to the green economy.</strong></p> <p>The launch, which brought together industry experts, SMEs and other support stakeholders on the theme: “Business Expansion into the Ashanti and Western Regions,” is also to discuss the importance of developing the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Ashanti and Western Regions.</p> <p>Speaking at the launch, Mr. Nelson Madiba Amo, Chief Executive Officer of Innohub said, “The programme has been designed to catalyse the growth of the selected businesses, with complimentary services in critical areas like market development, investor matching and post programme growth consulting support”.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/fair-trade-ghana-network-develops-advocacy-strategy/" target="_blank">Fair Trade Ghana Network develops advocacy strategy</a></li></ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/covid-19-ghana-receives-second-batch-of-ppe-from-waho/" target="_blank">COVID-19: Ghana receives second batch of PPE from WAHO</a></li></ul> <p>Miss Genevieve Parker-Twum, Senior Incubation & Acceleration Advisor for SNV Ghana, said the GrEEn Project at SNV, was committed to building strong resilient local economies that would support the youth, women and returning migrants in the Ashanti and Western regions with business development and improved access to markets and capital.</p> <p>The launch was held with the announcement of three selected participants; Ropryn Company Limited, producer of fruits and vegetables for supply to supermarkets and the hospitality industry, Pamela Chicks and Feeds, producer of pullets for poultry farmers and Premier Waste Services, a waste management and recycling business, for the maiden edition of the project.</p> <p>The three were selected after thorough screening processes, interviews, and diagnostics exercises.</p> <p>Each SME will go through a series of tailored training and bespoke business development support that would help them develop a roadmap to achieving sustainable scale, create new decent jobs, and raise funding from the investing communities.</p> <p>The Project is under the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s Boosting GrEEn Project. </p> <p>The GrEEn Project, funded by the European Union, is aimed at promoting employability and enterprise development, thereby creating jobs for youth, women, and returning migrants, as well as supporting green businesses in Ghana.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com/snv-ghana-launches-green-acceleration-programme/">SNV Ghana launches GrEEn Acceleration Programme</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.sweetmelodiesfm.com">Sweet Melodies FM</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>