The Chief Executive of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries says over 800,000 people operating Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises have registered at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

This is to be able to benefit from government’s Coronavirus Alleviation Programme.

Kosi Yankey-Ayeh said this during a webinar organised by Ecobank Ghana Limited.

“Within the one month and a half over 800,000 people willingly went to the Authority to formalise their businesses to be able to benefit from government’s intervention and also be able to support and to grow in the direction that government needed them to.”

Government had launched the 1billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) in May to help businesses caught up in the pandemic stabilise and thrive despite the difficulties the measures meant to control the spread of the virus had inflicted on their businesses.

The support was being provided by government and selected participating banks to micro, small and medium-scale businesses around the country through the NBSSI which was responsible for disbursing the funds.

According to Mrs Yanky-Ayeh, not only did the Coronavirus Alleviation Plan support businesses with much-needed funds, but it also allowed government to give these businesses the much needed technical and digital support to enable them stabilise and thrive.

She said the CAP came at the right time or else businesses and the society would fallen apart due to the huge losses and joblessness that would have hit the country.