The Eastern Regional Branch of the Association of Small Scale Industries (ASSI) has appealed to the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to ensure that Municipal and District Assemblies in the region involve Micro and Small- Scale Enterprises (MSEs) in their economic development.

The association also called for more engagement of the SMEs in the economic planning, fee fixing and the public procurement processes of the assemblies.

This was contained in a memorandum submitted by the ASSI to the RCC on Tuesday, which was received by the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Mavis Ama Frimpong.

The memorandum was based upon research findings, which revealed that the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region were not complying with four circulars sent to them by the RCC directing them to involve the MSEs in their economic planning and development.

The association pleaded with the RCC to put in monitoring schemes to ensure that the Municipal and District Assemblies comply with the directives on the engagement of MSEs in the economic planning of the assemblies.

They should also be made to submit annual reports to the RCC indicating the progress that had been made in complying with the directives.

The association urged the RCC to encourage the assemblies to generate reliable data on the scope and characteristics of MSEs in their areas that could support the design of effectives SMEs focused local economic development strategy.

It urged the RCC and the assemblies to run an “open door policy” in their dealings with local entrepreneurs and to organize at least one meeting a year with the local entrepreneurs to discuss their concerns and to identify areas of support.

Ms Frimpong thanked the association and assured that the issues raised in the memorandum would be studied by the RCC.

She suggested the holding of a stakeholders’ forum on the issue, for the research findings to be presented to all the stakeholders for a more holistic approach to be adopted.