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Volta Regional minister commends GEXIM for prioritising SMEs
The Volta Regional Minister, Honourable Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, has commended the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) for prioritizing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) over the years.
The Minister further lauded the Bank for providing various forms of support to Ghanaian businesses over the years, including loans, capacity building and advisory services.
The Minister expressed his appreciation to GEXIM for replicating its popular Tuesday Market in the Volta region which is titled the Volta Western Weekend.
“I am excited to be here at the opening ceremony of the Volta Weekend Market taking place in Ho, from today to Saturday,” he said.
He added the three-day fair presented an opportunity for SMEs in the region to showcase their products for patronage and also get feedback on how to enhance their products for a wider market.
” It is also to help take these products into the international market. We hope to have more opportunities for Ghanaian businesses in various sectors across the Volta region going forward to help them scale up and move to the next level”, he emphasized.
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa was speaking at the opening ceremony of the “Volta Weekend Market” at Ho Bankoe (Movie Street) on Thursday 26th September 2024. The “Volta Weekend Market” took place from 26th to 28th September 2024 and coincided with the 2024 celebration of the annual Yam Festival by the Asogli State.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo in his remarks highlighted that the government considers the SME sector as a key contributor to economic growth and stated some initiatives introduced by the government over the years.
“The government is committed to growing the SME sector and this is evident with the recent launch of the SME Growth and Opportunities Programme by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and other government agencies and partners. This has been followed up with a sensitization exercise across the country. The fair by GEXIM, a strategic partner in this initiative, presents an opportunity to further engage SMEs in the region”, he added.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEXIM responsible for Banking, Ms. Rosemary Beryl Archer, indicated that the “The Volta Weekend Market” is a platform created by the Bank for SMEs across the Volta region and other Ghanaian entrepreneurs in neighboring regions to showcase carefully selected top-quality and uniquely packaged Made-In-Ghana products.
In fact, this is the region’s biggest fair exclusively for Made-In-Ghana products and services.
“We have over fifty Ghanaian entrepreneurs with unique products participating in this three-day fair. Some of the very unique, and authentic products being exhibited at unbeatable prices include food and ingredients, beverages, skin and beauty care products, textiles, apparel, garments, leather footwear, slippers, and many others,” she stated.
As a leading Policy and Development Bank, the Ghana Export – Import Bank has over the years made significant interventions and given support to Ghanaian businesses in various priority sectors of the economy. In the last seven years, the Bank has made a deliberate attempt to provide various forms of support to Ghanaian SMEs.
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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