Accra: Madam Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has urged the newly inaugurated Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) Board to secure increased donor support for Ghanaian enterprises. She called on members to demonstrate professionalism and leverage their social networks to attract sponsorship and strategic donor partnerships.

According to Ghana News Agency, the Minister emphasized the importance of adhering to donors’ regulations, stating, “These donor partners play according to the book. They play strictly by the rules and so if we don’t do that, we have the tendency to lose some of them.” Her comments were made during the Board’s inauguration ceremony.

The Minister also underscored the significance of the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSME) sector in providing employment, particularly for women and youth. She tasked the Board with enhancing the sector through upscaling, standardization, and improved market access. “I’m sure that you will help them to take advantage of African continental free trade area,” she added.

The Board, chaired by Dr. Nathaniel Boso and with Margaret Ansei as Chief Executive Officer, comprises members such as Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah, Reverend Christian Balagi, Mr. John Kwame Nimo, Dr. Emelia Assiakwa, Mrs. Cynthia Yvonne Djokoto, Mr. Langmagne Vitus-Otto, and Mr. John Matthew Kofi Setor Dumelo. Other members include Madam Caroline Champman Agyemang, Mr. Yaw Sarpong, and Alhaji Osuman Mohadeen.

Dr. Boso, the Chairperson, asserted the Board’s dedication to tackling MSMEs’ challenges with innovative solutions. “We are not going to come to your door knocking to tell you about problems. We are going to come to you with innovative solutions that we can work together with to grow micro and small and small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana,” he said.

The Ghana Enterprises Agency, formerly known as the National Board for Small Scale Industries, was reconstituted under Act 1043, passed by Parliament and assented to by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2020. It serves as the government’s lead body for the promotion and development of MSMEs, mandated to coordinate, implement, and monitor MSME sector activities across the country.