Mr Seth Twum
Akwaboah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ghana Industries
(AGI), has called for the establishment of more development banks to help
‘start-ups,’ especially those under the One District One Factory, with capital
injections to carry out their businesses effectively.
He explained that development banks, unlike commercial banks, were more
inclined to the financial needs of new businesses and understood their operations
better.
Mr Akwaboah told the media at the association’s annual general meeting for the
Western the Central regions that Ghana could leverage on her vast land
resources for agriculture and bauxite for aluminium products to compete
favourably under the continental free trade.
The AGM was on the theme: “Positioning Ghanaian Industries for Global
Competitiveness,” which calls for the development of local production
capacities to compete favourably in the Sub-region as well as globally.
Mr Akwaboah, therefore, called on the Government to help industries to chart
the competitive path, create prosperity and help in shared growth.
He noted that growing women entrepreneurs had become one concern of the AGI,
which had resulted in the creation of Women in Business to enable them to
contribute effectively in the business climate.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, said the
Government was implementing the business regulatory reforms for a conducive
business environment in partnership with stakeholders.
He said industries must pay significant attention to tracking their global
competitors to fully understand their customer segmentation models and how to
break through or penetrate as local businesses.
He said the strategic objective of the reforms was to make Ghana the most
business friendly nation in Africa by the end of 2020.
The Regional Minister, therefore, charged the AGI leadership to track
conversations on businesses in Parliament and follow up to ensure the House
came out with good results.
GNA