Government urged to evolve guidelines for operation of SMEs

KUMASI, Ghana, January 24 --- An appeal has been made to the Ghanaian government to evolve a policy guideline to enhance the smooth operations of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

The Small-Scale Carpenters Association (SSCA), which made the appeal, observed that such a policy framework could serve as a reference point in guiding the government and those engaged in the SMEs towards effective development of a small-scale industrial sector.

The appeal was contained in a release issued by the SSCA in Kumasi on Tuesday, and signed by its president, Togbi Samuel K. Fugah. It noted that the significant improvement in productivity, quality, employment generation and other social activities in the country, all points to the urgent need to ensure steady growth of the SMEs, through a well fashioned out national policy on the sector.

The SSCA said President Kufuor's pledge to make the SMEs government's partners in development should be supported by total commitment of government departments and agencies that play vital roles in implementing government policies and programmes.

The release said if SMEs were made the focal point of the country's industrial and economic development it would go a long way to create employment avenues and enhance initiative and creativity.

It stated that the demand for furniture parts by Ghana's neighbours such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo and Cote d'Ivoire has increased. The release said this attests to the fact that good quality of wood products is being turned out by carpenters in Ghana.

It added that in order to sustain the drive at exporting wood products, there was the need to ensure a well-researched material base for carpenters at all levels. In this connection, the SSCA appealed to the government to explore avenues that will help guarantee regular supply of raw materials to the small-scale carpenters, to facilitate their capacity of meeting local and international demands