Train entrepreneurs before giving them start-ups — Economist advises

Tema, Dec. 27, GNA — The Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA), has recommended that young entrepreneurs be equipped with effective skills and guidelines in finance and other business aspects before supporting them with start-up capitals.

Mr Samuel Akoetey, Director of Business Development, CGIA commended the government for the YouSTART initiative proposed in the 2022 budget, but stressed the need to train the would-be beneficiaries “if not it will be money flashed through the pipelines”.

Mr Akoetey stated at the Ghana News Agency, Tema Regional Office’s Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform, which serves as a weekly media think-tank platform for state and non-state and commercial operators to communicate to the world on topical issues of national interest.

He said the government must make a deliberate effort to ensure that all the entrepreneurs regardless of the sectors they were coming from were able to manage the start-ups’ capitals well and keep records.

“It is good there is digitalization that at a given time you can track your expenditure, so we think that yes government efforts to be able to give something to local industries is commendable but the training is paramount and important,” he said.

Mr Akoetey added that the training should be moderate in order not to cost the government more than the fund it wanted to give out to help alleviate the unemployment of the teeming youth.

He explained that “if consultancy and for that matter, the training was causing more than the fund you are giving out, then it becomes self-inflicting hence, that aspect too should be looked at and be guided to ensure that training is given at a reasonable rate”.

Mr. Akoetey also appealed to the Government to ensure that, students from the basic schools who do not have the practical aspect of entrepreneurship should go on apprenticeship and learn through the process as a bid to help get their error margin reduced.

He said if that was not done, the government would not get the grants out and later it would be difficult to make benefits.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, GNA Tema Regional Manager explained that the Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform formed part of a broader objective of the Agency towards revamping its operations.

He said the agency had embarked on a process of revamping its newsgathering operations, towards the production of digital news content and the acquisition of modern digital equipment to aid speedy transmission of stories from the field.

He added that GNA was poised to be the source of news on Ghana’s investment and industrialization drive, economic and tourism potential through story exchanges with its international partners, and Tema serving as a major industrial city, “GNA Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue Platform,” was critical.

Mr. Ameyibor said as an Industrial New Hub, GNA-Tema Regional Office found it necessary to engage experts to help educate the people as part of the agency’s contribution towards good governance.

Source: Ghana News Agency