Govt secures $200m to facilitate Rural Enterprises Programme
The government has secured US$200 million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a UN agency based in Italy, and the African Development Bank (ADB) to facilitate the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP).
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The REP is part of the efforts of the government to reduce poverty and improve the living conditions of the people in the rural areas.
It seeks to upscale and mainstream the public and private institutional systems within the district-based micro and small-scale enterprises (MSEs) support system.
The Minister of Trade and Industries (MoTI), Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, made this known when the ministry presented two new Nissan Navara pick-up vehicles valued at US$100,000 to the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and GRATIS Foundation in Accra yesterday.
The vehicles are meant to help the two entities to facilitate the supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the REP.
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah (2nd right) presenting the keys to the vehicles to Mr David B. Atugiya (2nd left), Board Chairman, Gratis Foundation.
Rural empowerment
Dr Spio-Garbrah called on rural communities, district and municipal assemblies to identify one main product in their respective areas that could contribute to the country’s export strategies.
He said there were high demands for most Ghanaian products such as vegetables, peanuts, ginger, oil palm, coconut, among others, in other parts of the world.
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Dr Spio-Garbrah said the project was to empower rural people to become entrepreneurial.
Programme Goal
The goal of REP is to improve on the livelihoods and incomes of the rural poor micro and small entrepreneurs.
The programme links with the Private Sector Development Strategy Phase II of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Receiving the vehicle on behalf of the Gratis Foundation, the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Mr Emmanuel Asiedu, said the vehicle would be used for the purpose of providing technical backstopping and staffing to the Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs).