The Chief Executive Officer of the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), Nana Osei Bonsu has charged the government to strategically build capacity and retool local businesses and state agencies to be competitive to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Speaking to JoyBusiness, Mr. Osei Bonsu noted that the inefficiencies of various businesses in the country can be traced to the starving of institutions of their statutory allocated budgets in some cases. "I think in Ghana we all glorify the lamentations that public services are inefficient, public services are bad news or do anything well when there is a demand for them. Sometimes yes, it’s true they cannot deliver their work efficiently but it's no fault of theirs. They don't have the tools and financial resources especially human capital." He believes when the public sector institutions become efficient, the private sector stands to benefit more hence the need for them to be pushed to the level of competition. He added that AfCTA presents a great opportunity. "if we look at Ghana and the gaps of what we don't have, Nigerians are going to bring, South Africans are going to bring, Kenya, Cameroonians are going to bring, then where lies the Ghanaian businesses?” He quizzed. He added "so we have to build their capacity to understand the competition that's coming. Push them to the level where they become strong enough to withstand any competition". He indicated that unless conscious efforts are made at that, Ghana will lose out. AWARDS In all, the Environmental Protection Agency- EPA adjudged the best performing agency after receiving an award for the adoption of innovation, an award for best customer care unit and best business-friendly and timely delivery. LUSPA and Star Ghana Foundation were honoured Best Reforming agency and Suprise awards respectively. The Department for Factory Inspections -DFI also got two awards on the night.