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Western Regional minister commends GEXIM for ‘Western Weekend Market’
The Western Regional Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko – Mensah has commended the Board and Management of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) for organising a special edition of its popular Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Fair dubbed, Tuesday Market, in the Western Region.
Dubbed the “Western Weekend Market”, the fair took place at the Takoradi Mall, from Friday May 17 to Sunday May 19, 2024 at the Takoradi Mall, between 8am and 10pm daily.
The fair provided a platform for Ghanaian entrepreneurs across the Western and neighbouring regions to showcase their various top-quality and uniquely packaged Made-in-Ghana products.
Mr.Kwabena Okyere Darko – Mensah participated in the fair on Saturday May 18, 2024.
Supported by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEXIM, responsible for Banking, Ms. Rosemary Beryl Archer, the Minister inspected the Made-In-Ghana products being exhibited and took time to engage the vendors to get an insight into their business operations and products.
Speaking to the media after the event, Mr.Darko – Mensah congratulated GEXIM for the initiative to support SMEs to scale up and harness their export potential.
Very impressed with the unique and amazing products being exhibited, the Minister urged the Bank to continue organizing more fairs in the region to benefit the growing entrepreneurs in the Western region.
“It is exciting and refreshing to be seeing these uniquely packaged products here today and most importantly, knowing there were products by Ghanaians and most of them produced in the Western region. I am very impressed with the work that has gone into organizing this amazing fair and I wish to commend the Ghana Export – Import Bank for this great initiative in addition to all the great things the Bank is doing for and with Ghanaian entrepreneurs across the country,” he said.
I must say it is the way to go as it contributes towards economic development and the creation of jobs for Ghanaians. With this initiative and others, we are on our way to achieving the Government of Ghana’s industrialization agenda. We will urge GEXIM to continue with the fair in the Western region and the SME Clinic to help build the capacity of SMEs in the region and beyond”, he stated.
On her part, Ms. Rosemary Beryl Archer expressed the Bank’s appreciation to the Minister and all stakeholders who made the “Western Weekend Market” a success.
She further highlighted the significance of developing the Ghanaian SME sector and the important contribution entrepreneurs can make to economic development when they are empowered and supported to become more efficient.
She noted that “I am happy we have all these SMEs here today and they are being promoted both locally and internationally to be patronized. We cannot belittle the crucial role of SMEs in the national development agenda, witnessing the sector’s important contribution to the economic transformation of several countries globally, where it accounts for over 50% of private output.“
“We have had some great feedback from the vendors which indicates how the fair has broadened their knowledge base from engagement with their colleagues from other regions. We are looking at sending some of the SMEs from the Western Region to our SME fairs in other regions to get them aligned with what their colleagues in other regions are doing,” she added.
On the sidelines of the “Western Weekend Market”, the Bank organized a training programme for the SMEs, dubbed “SME Clinic”, on Saturday May 18, 2024 also at the Takoradi Mall. The “Western SME Clinic” is aimed at building the capacity of entrepreneurs, exploring solutions to challenges faced by Ghanaian businesses as well as identifying pragmatic approaches to assist SMEs to scale up and become more efficient in their operations.
Under the theme “Growing Your Business And Export Financing”, the participants were taken through important elements of business development and growth as well as the export value chain. They were further enlightened on the concept of governance, risk and compliance in business management.
Nana Ekua Kodu II, the queen mother of the Esikado Traditional Area and multiple award winning Ghanaian musician, Kofi Kinaata were part of the dignitaries that participated in the “Western Weekend Market.”
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
