The initiative, under the “Ghana Cares Obaatan Pa” programme is a three-and-a-half year compre­hensive programme to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, return the country to a sustained path of robust growth and to create a more resilient and transformed economy.

“It is not the totality of gov­ernment’s economic development programme, but rather, it rep­resents the strategic and catalytic interventions that will foster a quicker recovery and boost our post-COVID economic transfor­mation,” he added.

Mr Nkansah made the revelation in Accra yesterday when 200 ben­eficiaries of the programme were presented with funds ranging from GH¢10, 000.00 to GH¢20, 000.00 to support their agribusinesses.

He said the move formed part of efforts by the government to promote entrepreneurship among the youth.

According to the CEO, a total number of 1,000 youths had so far been given grants to boost their businesses “last year we provided funding for 500 young entre­preneurs under the programme and so far in this year, the same number of people have benefitted from this laudable initiative”.

He expressed gratitude to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for his contribution towards promoting entrepreneur­ship in Ghana.

Mr Nkansah advised the ben­eficiaries to ensure they used the funds for the intended purpose, and properly manage their various businesses, for growth and sustain­ability.

In a speech read on her behalf, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance, Madam Eva Mends, said agriculture and entrepreneur­ship had the potential to transform the economy because they contrib­uted to national income, provided a source of food supply, as well as raw materials for value addition.

Under the Ghana Cares pro­gramme, she said the sector min­istry was partnering with NEIP to further deepen their work and build up more young persons, es­pecially in the area of agriculture.

“Our partnership has provided the platform for our young men and women in innovative agricul­tural practices. This goes beyond traditional farming methods, it involves leveraging technology, modern techniques, and sus­tainable approaches to enhance productivity while preserving while preserving our environment.”

“These practices not only en­sures food security for our nation but also opens doors to new eco­nomic avenues,” he added.

Madam Mends said the grants disbursed symbolised the con­fidence the government had in young entrepreneurs.