Reducing the number of employees in the current economic environment to control the negative impact of the coronavirus is not a wise decision for business owners.

This is an assertion by the National Project Co-ordinator for Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises under the International Labour Organisation, Samuel Onoma Asiedu.

According to him, the labour force is critical in growing enterprises, thereby strengthening the economy.

Speaking to Joy Business after a workshop on sustaining the ILO SMEs agenda in Accra, Samuel Onoma Asiedu, said there has been a devastating effect of the global pandemic on employment and a further move by employers to lay off staff could be at a cost.

“We think the programme has helped us to transform many businesses and it is more important than we continue” he noted.

On his part, Chief Executive of the Sekondi Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, STCCI, Vincent Annan has bemoaned the effect of the pandemic on the sector in the Western region and its environs.

According to him, the travel restrictions have affected operations that depend on supply of goods to many of the multinational giants in the region.

The workshop was expected to afford partners of the Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) team opportunity to assess the impact of its support programme to the manufacturing sector and micro businesses.