A Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Herbert Krapa, is calling on private entities to collaborate with the government to support small and medium-scale enterprises.

According to him, industry actors have on-field knowledge which makes them the right partner to help the government achieve its objective of developing SMEs.

“One District One Factory, industrial subcontracting and exchange, business regulatory reforms, strategic anchor industries, industrial parks and special economic zones are all part of government’s pursuit of a competitive operating environment for business. However, government alone cannot do this”.

“Industry captains like this chamber has the access to the other half of the task because you’re better placed to understand the issues of SMEs and know how to confront them much more than government does,” he urged.

Speaking at the Business Explosion organised by the Trade Ministry calls for public-private partnerships for SME development, Mr. Krapa indicated that the programme is a great platform to deliberate on ideas that will promote small and medium scale enterprises through financial and technical assistance.

“We need you to engage government on platforms such as this with constructive ideas for SME development. Together with government, we can rewrite the narrative of SMEs in Ghana and we must each be counted on the right side of history when that story is told,” he said.

Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sugandh Rajaram also reiterated the need to build synergy among business of both countries.

“I’ve witnessed huge synergies between India and Ghana and from both sides, I see a commitment to facilitate and help the efforts by the businesses,” he indicated.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber, Dominic Oduro Antwi is optimistic that the current economic challenges faced by Ghana will pass and activities of businesses will bounce back.

“I will liken the current economic situation to pregnancy. Women go through nine months of pain, but when the child is born, the joy wipes away all the pain. So we’re currently experiencing the pain through the phase of challenges but I’m sure that we’ll soon be out of this storm,” he said.

The Business Explosion was climaxed by the launch of Eicher vehicles by Silver Star Auto, a member of the Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber.