President Akufo-Addo says the country’s private sector has a major role to play in reviving the economy which has suffered some setbacks following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The President believes the active participation of entrepreneurs is critical to achieving this objective.
Speaking at the 3rd Presidential Pitch Event where an amount of GH¢1 million was given to 20 young entrepreneurs, Nana Akufo-Addo said the private sector has a lot to do in reviving and sustaining the economy.
He promised that the government on its part will ensure that the right environment is created for entrepreneurship to thrive.
“Rebuilding the global economy and our own national economy is going to put an even greater premium on entrepreneurship which underlines the exceptional significance of today’s event. The government will continue to help facilitate a supportive environment to enhance entrepreneurship and enterprise development,” Akufo-Addo said.
Under another flagship initiative of the Ministry of Business Development, the Presidential Business Support Programme (PBSP) Window (3), twenty-six thousand (26,000) young entrepreneurs are currently being trained across the country to build their capacity and enhance their competitiveness.
The number of persons in start-ups and small businesses that have been trained, since 2018, under the Presidential Business Support Programme, is forty-five thousand (45,000). Five thousand (5,000) of those trained this year will be funded to scale-up their businesses, thereby bringing the total of start-ups and small businesses, which have been provided with funding since 2018, to nine thousand, three hundred and fifty (9,350).
The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), President Akufo-Addo assured, will continue to serve as the primary vehicle for providing integrated national support for start-ups and small business, focusing on the provision of business development services, business incubators and funding for youth-owned businesses.