By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Nov 27, GNA – The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Feed the Future Ghana Market Systems and Resilience (MSR) Activity has presented business registration certificates to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) formalising their operations in the country.
A total of 77 businesses benefited, including nine from Gushegu, 17 from Karaga, 12 from Mion, nine from Nanton, 12 from Yendi, and 18 from Sagnarigu, with women making up 97 per cent of the participants.
About 84% of them engaged in processing and production, marketing, and aggregation of agricultural produce such as soybeans, groundnut, rice, maize, vegetables, and livestock rearing.
The formalisation initiative is expected to benefit 300 MSMEs primarily owned by women, youth, and people with disabilities, enhancing their competitiveness, increasing their incomes, and contributing to the economic development of their communities.
Mr. Glenn Lines, Chief of Party, Ghana MSR Activity, speaking at the event in Tamale, commended the MSMEs for embracing formalisation and skills development, which he said would help improve their operations.
He assured the beneficiaries that the initiative would be scaled up to more entrepreneurs and build a more inclusive and resilient economy through MSME development.
Mr. Musa Taylor, Capacity Building Team Lead, Ghana MSR Activity, said the formalisation of the MSMEs became necessary because many of them lacked registration, hindering their ability to access new markets, secure investments, and comply with regulatory requirements.
He said the MSMEs had been equipped to keep records.
Madam Ateni Akparib, a beneficiary, lauded the initiative, saying that before participating in the Ghana MSR Activity, she lacked knowledge on record-keeping and business management.
She said through the initiative, she had gained valuable insights and skills including the use of record-keeping books to track her business or operations.
The USAID-funded Ghana MSR Activity is a comprehensive initiative aimed at transforming market systems to support agricultural growth and increase resilience in northern Ghana.
GNA