Mr Abdul Karim Boakye-Yiadom, Asante Akim South District Chief Executive has appealed to managements of rural banks and financial institutions operating in rural areas to introduce products that would be beneficial to rural dwellers especially those engaged in petty trading.
He said this would enable them have access to banking services and promote economic activities at the grassroots.
Mr Boakye-Yiadom made the appeal when addressing a roundtable conference for stakeholders in the Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSE) sector at Juaso.
The conference organized by Business Advisory Centre (BAC), under the Rural Enterprises Projects (REP), was attended by representatives from National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), Co-operative Department, Department of Community Development, the Hunger Project, financial institutions and local trade associations.
It was to brainstorm on how best stakeholders could create enabling environment for Micro and Small Scale Enterprises to thrive.
Mr Boakye-Yiadom noted that rural banking was introduced to bring banking to the door steps of rural dwellers but most of the products of rural banks and financial institutions were inaccessible to them.
He stressed the need for stakeholders in the sector to collaborate effectively to promote MSSEs to enable them engage in viable economic activities to halt the increasing rural-urban migration.
Mr Boakye-Yiadom said the role of BAC in the implementation of REP was in line with government's efforts to improve the living standards of the people and pledged the assembly's support towards their activities.
He urged the stakeholders to equip the youth with skills to complement government's efforts in creating employment.
Mr Richard Boateng, Policy Planning Officer for MSSEs at the Project Coordinating Unit of REP, said MSSE promotion was a collective responsibility which required more partnership of all support institutions.
He stressed the need for the establishment of a Sub-Committee on MSSEs promotion in the district to focus on small business development and growth.
Mr Boateng said business creation and income generation at the district level were functions of a vibrant private sector and advocated pragmatic measures to that effect.
Mr Owusu Brobbey Saeed, Ashanti Regional Manager of NBSSI called for the formation of associations to source for loans to expand businesses.
He explained that the associations would not only represent a vibrant front but also a strong bargaining power to negotiate on behalf of its members.
Mr Saeed identified lack of cooperation among trade associations as major factor militating against their survival and called for effective coordination to boost activities of MSSEs in the district.
Mr Aikins Agyepong, Asante Akim South District Head of BAC, said BAC was responsible for equipping the unemployed with employable skills and upgrade the skills of those already in business to maximize profit.
He said BAC was working closely with financial institutions in the provisions of loans for its clients and urged the public to take advantage of their assistance to improve on their business.
Mr Agyepong said in addition, BAC offered counselling for clients especially in record keeping.