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$9million Grant Scheme launched for SMEs in toursim sector
The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, has launched a $9million Grant Scheme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism and leisure sector.
The grant scheme which is under the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTD), is aimed at supporting indigenous businesses to overcome challenges in the tourism sector.
The grant scheme is in three categories, thus, Site Upgrade Grant, SMEs Grant for companies within the tourism sector, and Capacity Building for emerging companies and individuals with ideas.
To be eligible for the scheme, one needs to register his or her company with the appropriate state entities and the company should be majority Ghanaian ownership.
Addressing the press on Wednesday at the Ministry of Information conference room, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, said, the sector had been identified as a strategic pillar for the economy, and Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
She said in the country’s quest to improve leisure tourism, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, solicited for a facility from the World Bank to implement the Ghana Tourism Development Project for which an aspect, known as the ‘Grant Scheme’ had been launched.
The minister revealed that the project comprised four main components, namely, Strengthening Tourism Enabling Environment, Developing Tourism Sites and Destinations, Tourism Enterprise Support, and the final component would be a support for the Ministry’s Management and Coordination efforts.
She added that as part of the project, some tourist sites have been identified and currently under renovation at various stages of completion, adding that very soon, a plan for the establishment of a state-of-the-art tourism and hospitality training institutions at different parts of the country would be outdoored.
It was her hope that beneficiaries would utilise the funds to achieve the purpose of the project, adding that her outfit would undertake rigorous evaluation programmes.
Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, who supervised the launch, expressed government’s commitment to improve the tourism sector, adding that the move demonstrated the vision for the sector.
He said, if the players in the sector utilised the funds successfully, other financial support would follow, because tourism played a key role in the preservation of culture and creating employment opportunities.
The Senior Minister urged stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunities the Grant Scheme presented to revitalise and improve the sector despite the negative effect of COVID-19.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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