A minimum of 8,000 digital jobs are projected to be created as government launches the Ghana Online Mall, an online platform that will enable Ghanaian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and businesses to thrive locally and globally.

The electronic platform, funded by government, will enable entrepreneurs to upload certified products or services on the platform, availing such businesses to prospective customers at no cost.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah disclosed that the e-platform will make the businesses of freelancers visible on the global landscape.

“The online mall platform which will be a pool of services providers with diverse backgrounds, is an avenue for job creation especially for our students, unemployed graduates, busy mums, artisans and all those who can offer some form of services in the comfort of their homes. We anticipate to create a minimum of 8,000 jobs from the initiative within the first twelve months,” Mr. Baffour Awuah said.

According to him, ‘the first phase of the project, which is from October to December 2018, will support 10,000 businesses with full directory, product images and short videos. Also, about 500,000 businesses are expected to be on the platform in one year.’

He posited that the e-mall, which is part of government’s industrialization agenda, would project the abandoned local and indigenous Ghanaian products to the international market, thereby boosting trade with other African countries and the world as a whole.

“As we implement our industrialization agenda with emphasis on value addition to our abandoned raw materials, the online mall will offer our medium, small microenterprises the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the larger African market. This will further boost trade with other African countries within the context of the continental free trade agreement,” he added.

The Ghana Online Mall, under the auspices of the Ministry of Business Development; and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP), will serve as a market for Ghanaian businesses and SMEs to thrive.