The Chairman of the Association of Small Scale Industries (ASSI) in the Western Region, Mr. Douglas Turkson has urged metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to empower their members through education, sensitization and orientation programs to make them more responsible in their planning and development activities. He said Small Micro Enterprises need coaching to make them attractive to enable them access loans, as well as for police makers to take them serious and put in place measures to cater for their needs. Mr. Turkson was addressing a workshop on Small and Micro Enterprises in Takoradi in the Western Region on Tuesday. It was to address the challenges that SMEs of the Western Region face and also create a favorable environment for sustainable development of SMEs. He acknowledged that the Western Region is now at the center of major development opportunities that require well thought-out sustainably initiatives to enable entrepreneurs maximize the benefits that would accrue from the emerging oil and gas industries. He noted that SMEs can function as suppliers to large companies and thus serve as a major source of revenue to the local government authorities. Mr. Turkson attributed poor financing of SMEs operation to lack of proper record keeping. Story by Anita Eshun/Aseda Fm