James Bukari, General Manager, MTN Northern sector, giving the welcome speech
A new and innovative business support for the Small and Medium scale (SME) sector has been officially launched in Kumasi by the Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Kojo Bonsu. The initiative dubbed the “Ghana SME Hub” is a partnership between Business World magazine and MTN with the support of Union Savings and Loans.
The launch, which took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi was attended by several business associations and groups in the Ashanti region as well as prominent business owners in Kumasi. It was held on the theme, “Building Successful partnerships for Business Expansion”.
Speaking on the theme for the event, Hon. Bonsu in a speech read on his behalf said “ I will like to re-echo the assembly unflinching commitment towards creating the enabling environment for businesses to grow in the metropolis” he added the initiative is therefore appropriate because it aims at meeting business owners and managers in a relaxed, informal environment that allows them to better engage with experts on best practices and solutions for managing various components of their business”.
A section of the SME participants at the exhibition hall
Commenting on the importance of the Ghana SME hub, Sam Addo, General Manager of MTN, said, “most great companies started as SME’s. MTN is confident that businesses that fall in this category will help grow Ghana’s economy.
Angela Ankomah-Boateng, General Manager of Business World organisers of the initiative, said “the main objective is to promote the growth of the SME market by providing a platform for service providers to engage SME business owners and managers in their natural setting with solutions for managing their business effectively”.
Yaa Fosuah Gyamfi, the Corporate Affairs Manager of Union Savings and Loans, said Union savings is excited to join hands with MTN and Business World to further support SMEs who are the backbone of our business model”.
Dominic Donkoh, Executive Head, Business Division, Union Savings and Loans
As part of the Hub’s activities in Kumasi, a big “Hub truck” has be positioned at various locations across Kumasi where professional and business advice is being provided over a two day period to business owners and their managers through one-on-one sessions, also happening concurrently is a two day exhibition of SME solution at the Aseda House in Kumasi.