Government to provide micro credit to the poor
Agona Swedru, Oct. 2, Ghanadot/GNA-
Dr Kwabena Duffour, Minister of Finance and Economic
Planning on Thursday said government was pursuing an
aggressive and prudent financial policy to provide adequate
micro- credit facilities to alleviate poverty.
He said the promotion of private sector competitiveness was
the only anchor for the attainment of the Millennium
Development Goals in Ghana.
Dr Duffour made this known in a speech read on his behalf at
the two-day Annual Review Workshop on the Social Investment
Fund (SIF) at Agona Swedru in the Central Region.
He said the SIF meant to provide credit to small and medium
scale enterprises (SMEs) was in support of government’s
agenda for growth and prosperity.
The Finance Minister announced that government had assisted
small and medium scale enterprises, through the building of
small irrigation projects and the creation of rural-based
job opportunities for the youth.
He said the SIF had so far approved 191 sub- projects out of
which 171 were in various stages of completion, leading to
the creation of 2,230 jobs in the areas of education,
health, sanitation and revenue mobilization.
Dr Duffour said the 48,600 Ghana Cedis loan facility
approved by the SIF for SMEs was aimed at improving and
expanding businesses and to create employment to reduce
poverty.
Mr Joseph Yireh Chireh, Minister of Local Government and
Rural Development said the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP)
was implemented to reduce urban poverty in the beneficiary
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Ms Ama Serwaa Dapaah, Executive Director of SIF said the
project was to improve on socio-economic growth, job
creation, public/private partnership and governance at the
local level to promote quality livelihood in urban areas.
She noted that the programme would also accelerate income
generating activities through capacity building for pro-poor
and strengthened urban small-scale enterprise sector.
Ms Ama Benyiwa Doe, Regional Minister charged the MMDAs to
ensure the immediate implementation and completion of all
projects under SIF/UPRP to create wealth and jobs for the
people.
Mr Jacob Felix Obeng-Forson, Agona West Municipal Chief
Executive said the review meeting was timely since it would
iron out the challenges facing the programme.
The Project covers assemblies namely: Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi/Takoradi,
Koforidua, Ho, Tema, Agogo, Akim Oda, Agona Swedru, Apam,
Kasoa and Wenchi.
GNA
