The forum created the platform for SMEs in Ghana to network with APP buying companies, including Ecobank, Lorhno, UT Bank, Guinness Ghana Limited, Tullow Ghana, Newmont and General Electric. The event is on the theme: “Creating Thriving Businesses Through Quality Standards and Taxation.”

Mr Sam Brandful, Ghana Manager of IIA, said the APP was the core of IIA’s work in Ghana and the directory assist local suppliers and buyers to promote their businesses and increase their ability to tender more competitively.

He said the forum was to bring together suppliers and buyers on the APP platform to move the relationship from an online basis to see exactly, who they were dealing with within the pool. He said it was also to interact and form closer business linkages between suppliers and buyers to forge a stronger network of businesses.

He said there should not only be the concentration on the networking but also discussions on business topics that would promote the interest of their businesses. Mrs Mawuena Trebrah, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, said the Centre was committed in supporting businesses in promoting their activities. She said the income tax formed have seen a couple of evolvement throughout the period to stabilise the tax regime.

“It is to encourage the businesses community to invest in the Ghanaian economy,” she added.  She said there were tax holidays for investors, especially for those, who intended to invest in agriculture, since government’s objective was to creative more jobs to grow its economy. “Businesses in these areas enjoy tax holiday ranging from five to 10 years,” she said.

Mrs Trebrah said on quality standards, the focus was to ensure that products and services met local and international standards. The CEO said the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) was also helping to make sure there were highly standards on products produced in the country.Mr Winfred Tettevi, the Acting Director, Monitoring and Evaluation said the authority was harmonising regulations to meet international standards.

He said even though, applications for standard was not compulsory, doing business without standards was equal to not doing business at all. The Acting Director encouraged business owners to approach issues of standardisation with the urgency it required. “If you want to do real business and promote it internationally, standard is needed,” he added.

Mrs Mary Nana Ama Kitcher, the CEO of Empyreal Design and Build told the GNA that joining the APP was an eye opener and it had given her company the opportunity to network. She said it had also given them the opportunity to position themselves to expand improve on their business operations.