President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday 5th August 2020, commissioned an office complex at New Senchi Kortorpei in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, with a call on the management of the BRC to exhibit high maintenance culture.
The centre was established under the Rural Enterprises Programme of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and International Fund for Agricultural Development Fund (IFAD).
Addressing a durbar of chief and people of the Akwamu area, President Akufo-Addo noted that the objective of establishing the BRC was to provide a one-stop enterprise support centre to deliver a broad range of business development services (BDS) to potential and existing entrepreneurs and enterprises. He explained that the BRC will also operate as financial and investment facilitation hub and business information repositories for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). President Akufo-Addo urged the people in and around the district to make optimal use of the facility and consult the experts recruited to the BRC for support to start and grow their businesses.
He noted that the economies of advanced countries are resilient because of the formulation and implementation of deliberate policies geared towards supporting small, medium and large-scale industries.
“….Let us, therefore, as a country pay much attention to the private sector which is equally an engine of growth of the economy,” the President added.
He expressed optimism that the BRC would go a long way to strengthen private industries due to level of expertise and logistics within the centre and expressed gratitude to the people of the Akwamu Traditional Area who willingly offered the land for the facility.
Minister of Trade and Industries, Mr Alan Kyerematen, explained that the BRCs will liaise extensively with business regulatory agencies such as the Registrar Generals’ Department (RGD), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Financial Institutions among to provide a full bouquet of business support services at the district level.
He mentioned the support services to MSMEs to include training in management and entrepreneurship; business counselling and advisory services; preparation of business plans; facilitating access to financial services and credit; and facilitating access to markets.
He also advised faith-based organisations, individuals and other business ventures not to hesitate in accessing business advisory services from the centre to ensure the sustainability and development of their businesses. Mr Kyerematen said the BRC would serve four municipal and district assemblies, which were the Asuogyaman District Assembly, the Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly, Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly and Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly.
The Nifahene of the Akwamu Tradional Area, Nana Ofei Addo Agyeman, who represented the Omanhene of the Akwamu Traditional Area, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto II, expressed the joy of the traditional area and the Asuogyaman district for the project and requested the officers of the centre to consider the residents of the area, when recruiting personnel for the centre.
