The equipment included two projectors, two desktop computers, two UPS, two flip chart stands and two display cabinets.Mrs Gifty Dansoah Appiah, Country Manager, Christian Aid presenting the equipment said it formed part of efforts to revamp the two BACs in the two regions for the successful implementation of the Growing Economic Opportunities for Sustainable Development (GEOP) project.

The GEOP Project, which is jointly funded by the European Union and the Christian Aid, is a three-year project aimed at enhancing local economic development with the specific objective to foster strong civil society and local authority partnership to promote local job creation.

It is also to mobilise revenue and expand economic activities in an environmentally sustainable manner in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, Ayawaso East and Ablekuma South sub-metros in the Accra Metropolitan Area by the end of 2019.She said the NGO is a leading UK based organisation working in over 40 countries around the world to tackle the root causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all regardless of faith or nationality.

Mrs Appiah said in Ghana, the organisation focused on supporting its partners to play an effective role, while at the frontiers of development. “We also work with our partners to significantly improve the lives of poor and marginalised men and women and bring about a just and fair society,” she added. She expressed the hope that the equip would go a long way to ensure the success of this and other unique but important interventions aimed at enhancing local economic development.

She said over the next three years, the Christian Aid would look forward to a strong collaboration with the NBSSI and the BACs to train BAC staff on areas identified in needs assessment, link BAC staff with successful business and financial service operators for upgraded training on financial and business management to enable BACs to better support micro SME.

It will also work to support trainees and master craftsmen to register their business, formally open a bank account and prepare business plans and facilitate access to credit for trainees and master craftsmen.Ms Kosi Antwiwaa Yankey, the Executive Director, NBSSI said the NBSSI and Christian Aid under the GEOP were collaborating to train target beneficiaries to be economically empowered.

She said NBSSI’s component of the programme was designed among others to focus on creating and sustaining a minimum of 1,400 Jobs and to increase 40 per cent of net additional incomes for the youth.   Ms Kosi Yankey, said ‘this programme is in line with the new direction of NBSSI where our BACs would become one stop shops for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the youth’.

She said NBSSI would provide innovative technical resource support through its BACs.

She said the Christian Aid through this project would support NBSSI’s Accra and Ellembelle BACs by providing them with additional office equipment and training tools to strengthen them to provide more assistance to entrepreneurs, the youth and unemployed of the districts in support of reducing poverty as mentioned.

NBSSI has 173 District offices throughout the ten (10) regions. NBSSI and Christian Aid’s collaboration is in alignment with the current administration’s initiatives and policies to grow the MSMEs sector, strengthen entrepreneurs and provide more opportunity for prosperity, income and employment.

NBSSI already provides a comprehensive package of non-financial and financial services which are implemented in the regions and districts through its BACs and Credit/ Project Units. Some of NBSSI partners have been Mondelez, World Bank, European Union, JICA, GIZ, African Development Bank and IFAD. 

Since January to date, NBSSI has trained and supported the growth and expansion of 33,780 entrepreneurs and their businesses of which 10,628 are males and 23,152 are females.