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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.

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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.

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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.

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By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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 Intake of ‘Gobe’ can prevent heart diseases —Nutritionists

Gari and beans is good for the heart
Gari and beans is good for the heart

Nutritionists have advised Ghanaians to eat more beans-based meals, including the popular local dish, gari and beans, also known as ‘Gobe’ to prevent heart diseases. They said incidenc­es of obesity and cancer could be minimised with the regular intake of beans meals.

At a programme in Accra to mark the World Pulses ( Beans) Day on Monday, Mr Wise Chukudi Letsa, Nu­tritionist and Dietician, who spoke on the topic: ‘Beans: The Super Food for Healthy Living and Healthy Farmlands,’ admonished Ghanaians to include beans in their diets.

Mr Letsa said beans was rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, miner­als, irons and other nutrients and contained just a little fat. Mr Letsa, a Nutritionist with Lets Consult, stated that the presence of those nutrients in beans explained why its intake could prevent heart diseases and other ailments, hence the need to consume it regularly.

The event, dubbed: ‘Meatless Monday’ was organised by the Com­munications Initiative for Change (CIC), a Ghanaian non-profit organ­isation.

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The ‘Meatless Monday’ is an initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to reduce their intake of meat by taking in more beans-based meals on every Monday of a week.

It was launched after the United Nations in 2019, set aside Febru­ary 10 to celebrate and encourage the consumption of pulses (beans) worldwide. This year’s celebration was hinged on the theme: ‘Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems.’

Mr Peter Agbovi, National Secre­tary, Chefs Association of Ghana, said a variety of meals could be prepared with beans, which include Waakye (rice and beans), Kose (beans paste made into cakes), Ayikple, Aboboi, Tuo Zaafi, Akyeke, and kakro.

He encouraged Ghanaians to con­sume more of those foods to stay healthy.

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Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Ex­ecutive Director, CIC, indicated that even if people could not eat beans-based meals regularly, efforts should be made to consume them every Monday.

He said that was the essence of the introduction of the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative. -GNA

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 Restore beauty of Kwame Nkrumah Circle area / State of Kwame Nkrumah Circle an eyesore!

A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks
A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks

Small size quarry stones fixed at open spac­es under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was to leave the place open and free from activities of beggars and other activities of the homeless.

By the way the stones were fixed, it makes the area, particularly the VIP and Neoplan Station stretch of the Interchange, inhabit­able by the destitute.

But a walk through the area currently suggest the opposite.

At the median where pavement blocks have been taken over by these home­less and destitute, the area has been turned into a hotel where a number of these unfortunate ones have com­fortably laid their mattress­es and other stuff to rest from the day’s activities.

They have crossed over to the SSNIT and Kaneshie Station area with their activ­ities and have removed the quarry stones which were to ward them off the place to enable them find spaces to sleep comfortably.

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The pavement blocks re­moved from different loca­tions under the interchange now serves as foundations on which beds were laid and in some cases, mosquito nets erected.

Their continued pres­ence is not only creating a nuisance for commuters but marring the beauty and serenity of the place.

Sadly, the activities of these deprived fellows have been ignored while the numbers keep increasing day by day.

The Spectator finds the development very worrying and calls on the responsible authorities to clear the area to restore the beauty and serenity of the area.

 By Victor A. Buxton

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