Mr Herbert Krapa (4th right), Deputy Trade and Industry Minister in a pose with the delegation from the Social Enterprises Ghana.

Let's partner to grow start-ups-Deputy Trade Minister

Maclean Kwofi Business News Aug - 26 - 2021 , 12:56

A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Herbert Krapa, has said the government will partner the private sector to explore opportunities that can support the growth of start-ups and young entrepreneurs in the country.

That, the deputy minister said, was crucial to help these businesses to unlock their potential into a global giant, expand and create more jobs for the youth.

Addressing a delegation from Social Enterprise Ghana (SE Ghana) who paid a courtesy call on him in Accra, Mr Krapa said the government was committed to support the growth of small and growing businesses, especially impact start-ups.

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He said these firms remain the engine for job creation and social change and were also very necessary for Ghana’s sustainable development agenda.

He said the ministry was also poised to hold regular dialogues with the relevant industry stakeholders and private sector organisations to forge collaborations necessary for the growth and stability of Ghanaian businesses and start-ups.

Courtesy call

The Executive Director of Social Enterprise Ghana, Mr Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, stated that the courtesy call was to officially introduce Social Enterprise Ghana, a business network to the deputy minister.

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“It is part of efforts to create the relevant platform for private-public dialogues with relevant government agencies to improve the business environment for social enterprises to be resilient and sustainable amid COVID-19,” he said.

Mr Zu-Cudjoe said he was grateful to the deputy minister and the ministry in general for their support in the promotion of social enterprises in the country.

He particularly mentioned the assistance in the development of the draft Social Enterprise Policy which among other things calls for the setting up of a Ghana Social Enterprise Fund to support social enterprises, acquisition of quotas for government’s social goods procurements and training of social entrepreneurs.

That, he said, will generally ensure the growth of the social enterprise industry in the country.

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The national network

Social Enterprise Ghana is the national network of high-impact social entrepreneurs working together with stakeholders to strengthen Ghana's social enterprise ecosystem.

Among other things, the organisation advocates for business-friendly policies for social enterprises and supports them to access skills, market and finance.