CEDECOM enhances scale of SMEs

Mr Spencer Francis Taylor, Acting Executive Director of Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM), has called on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), to harness and transform investment opportunities into concrete projects to help reduce poverty.

He said the region has comparative advantage in the areas of tourism, agriculture and the oil industry.

Mr Taylor made the call in Cape Coast at the end of a three-day capacity building workshop for SMEs in the region on the theme: “Promoting Small and Medium Enterprises Development through Networking with Business Development Service Institutions.”

The workshop organised by the Enterprise Development Unit (EDU) of CEDECOM, was attended by 25 SMEs including members of the Forum for Small Scale Business Association (FOSSBA).

It was aimed at helping the SMEs to grow and enhance their competitiveness, equip them with management skills and competencies and enhancing the capacity of entrepreneurs.

Mr Taylor said it s the mandate of the commission to play an advocacy role to enhance private sector development, build and strengthen their capacity to enable them compete in the global market.

He noted that with the current global trend it is important for SMEs to enter into public-private partnership in order to facilitate development and growth.

Mr Gabriel Fiatui Head of EDU asked operators of small businesses to form cooperatives to attract donor support.

He said plans are advanced to organise nine of such workshops at Twifo-Praso District, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality and Mfantseman Municipality.

Mr Fiatui said the participants would be trained on pricing, business plan, management skills, costing and book keeping. He said 250 business owners, managers and service providers as well as skills training institutions in the region, have been targeted.