NEIP initiate moves to draft a Ghana Start-up Act

A Technical working committee charged with drafting a Ghana Start-Up Act to support entrepreneurship development and job creation has been inaugurated in Accra.

Being spearheaded by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the committee will within a three-month period embark on a nationwide stakeholder engagement to come out with a draft Ghana Start-up Bill.

At the inaugural ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Franklin Owusu Karikari, said the Act would set up an incentive framework for the creation and development of start-ups in Ghana to promote creativity, innovation and the use of technologies in achieving a strong added value and competitiveness at the national, regional and district levels.

He said it would also provide the legal backing for starting business and promoting start-ups for decent job and wealth creation in line with the SDG 8, among other things.

He said passing such an Act would help curb the perennial youth unemployment and underemployment challenge facing the country.

"The stakeholder engagements will be done via workshops, radio, television, social media, as well as a dedicated website for the Bill. The public will be welcome to share their inputs and it is our hope that all stakeholders will support the drafting process to ensure the Act is passed quickly,'' he said.

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Inclusivity

The Coordinator of the Committee, Mr Sherif Ghali, said it sought to develop an all-inclusive Bill “but the question is: what are the support systems you think you can rely on in any sector if you want to set up your own business?”

"The Bill will ensure that there are certain frameworks that will benefit anyone who wants to set up a business in Ghana or is in a business that falls within the start-up category,” he said.

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The Committee

The NEIP is collaborating with other organisations to draft the Bill. These include the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, Ghana Start-up Network, Ghana Hubs Network, i4Policy and the Private Enterprise Federation.

The GIZ Make IT is providing funding support.

The committee will present its final work to NEIP and subsequently to the Ministry of Business Development, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Attorney General, Parliament and the Office of the President.