Mrs Angela Mensah-Opoku, Head of Vodafone Business Solutions said Vodafone had found the need to support and recognise the great work being done by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to change the economic outlook of the country.

She said Vodafone had become the nerve-centre in the journey of equipping them with bespoke technological solutions whilst endowing them with skills and knowledge to become future multinationals and local corporates.

“It will soon no longer be enough to be called an SME - the real measure will be how impactful and scalable a company has become”, she said.

Mrs Mensah-Opoku made these known to the media during the Vodafone sponsored “SMEGA 2018”, an award ceremony to honour actors in the SMEs for their contribution to socio-economic development.

She said the event had been organised at the time that there were uncertainties in some parts of the economy, particularly due to the imbalances and deterioration in the financial services sector.

She said immense pressure was mounting on key regulators of the country’s businesses as they grapple with issues of corporate governance and profitability, adding that, “I know some of our businesses are going through some difficulties as we speak; especially due to tighter regulations in accessing finance and other services”.

She said Vodafone together with other organisers of the programme would continue to advocate for government not to renege on its commitment to keeping the SME space afloat at all times since it is the backbone of the country.

“Our commitment to developing SMEs in the country by offering them innovative solutions remain unchanged.  Currently SMEs make up 25 per cent our Enterprise revenue portfolio whilst commanding about 60 per cent in terms of volumes. We are looking forward to enhancing our base even further as we look to securing corporate leadership in this space”, she added.

She advised players and owners in the SME space to be aware of and understand the pressing demands of today’s hyper-connected workforce and be prepared to adopt new and more dynamic ways of working.

She said connectivity; super-fast internet, agility and the increasing importance of mobile devices had become the tools for the modern workplace; transforming and bringing a new dynamism to the way everyone works and interacts.

“SMEs need to be confident in confronting and embracing these trends then if they are to survive”, she said.Among the Business Entities that won awards were Learning Organisation, Digicut Production and Advertising, Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Limited, Samba Foods Yesli Clothing, Western Global Technology Limited, Jenesus Clothing, Sterling International Limited, Zeno Youghurt, Francis Aluminium Company and Yumzaa Anest Enterprise.

The categories under which nominees were awarded included Overall Best SME of the year, SME Achievers Award, Agro Commodity Trade Recognitions Awards, SME Community Impact Award, Trade Sector Award, Agribusiness and Product Innovation Awards, SME Rising Star Award, SME Woman Entrepreneur and SME Researchers Awards.