Sunyani, Nov 1, GNA - Mr Mahama Ayariga, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, has said the implementation of a proposed National Rural Enterprises Programme would further empower the rural poor with skills and other productive assets to develop and grow their own businesses. He said the International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD) had given the Ministry the assurance it would contribute funding to upscale the Rural Enterprises Project (REP) to cover all rural districts in the country, made up of 66 existing participating districts and 95 additional ones.

"The objective is to spread the benefits of skills development, technology promotion and transfer, rural financial services, job creation and poverty reduction to all districts of the country", he said.

Mr Ayariga was addressing the close of a week-long annual review workshop of the REP in Sunyani. He said the expansion of the REP would involve among others the establishment of sustainable structures for business promotion including Business Advisory Centres and rural technology facilities nationwide.

"The expansion of the rural enterprises programme nationwide fits into the wider national strategy of establishing an institutional framework for the promotion of micro and small scale enterprises", he said.

Mr Ayariga said this had come about due to lack of co-ordination and effective linkages of various programmes on MSE micro and small enterprises) promotion at the district, regional and national levels.

He said it was expected that the institutional structure of the national programme would put in place an appropriate institutional framework that would involve and co-ordinate the activities of all stakeholders at the district, regional and national levels.