Small businesses urged to take advantage of economic potentials in Gomoa East

Small scale entrepreneurs in Gomoa East in the Central Region, have been advised to take advantage of the vast economic potentials in the district to make the area a reliable economic giant in the country. Mr. Michael K. Tawiah, Presiding Member of the Gomoa East District Assembly (GEDA), said this they could do by organizing themselves into formidable micro finance working group to work efficiently in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO)-Assisted Edwumapa Co-operative Credit Union in Winneba. He was addressing about 160 small scale entrepreneurs operating within Gomoa-Akotsi and Gomoa-Ojobi Electoral Area at Gomoa-Akotsi on Thursday. The meeting was called by the management and board members of the Edwumapa Co-operative Credit Union with its headquarters at Winneba to inculcate into the small scale entrepreneurs, credit union ideals and the numerous economic returns they stand to gain if they organise themselves under one umbrella. Mr. Tawiah said the continued spill-over of people from Accra to settle in Awutu/Senya and the Gomoa East districts coupled with the oil-find potentials in the Western Region, had created vibrant business avenues for all business-conscious individuals and groups living alongside the Trans African Highway to make maximum use of these potentials. Mr. Tawiah further explained that when they partner with the ILO Co-operative Credit Union they would be able to secure loans without being asked to provide any collateral as practiced by the various banking institutions. The Presiding Member added that it was for this reason that the Gomoa East District Assembly was doing everything in its power to encourage micro credit facility beneficiaries to come together and form co-operative credit union to make their operation more useful. He said they should encourage the youth in their communities to avail themselves of vocational and entrepreneurship training. Mr. Tawiah, who is also the Assemblyman for Akotsi/Ojobi Electoral Area, maintained that when the youth acquired some vocational training they would not indulge in armed robbery and other vices inimical to national development. Mr. Kingsley Arko-Sam, Manager of the ILO-Assisted Edwumapa Co-operative Credit Union, assured registered small scale entrepreneurs in Gomoa East District that his outfit would help them to form a branch of the Union in the area. He advised them to strive to acquire entrepreneurship skills and vocations to promote their respective businesses for the rapid enhancement of their economic goals. Mr. Arko-Sam suggested to small scale entrepreneurs in the area to initiate moves to establish restaurants and hospitality industries at vantage points along the various link-roads in the Gomoa East District and on the main Accra-Cape Coast Highway to boost tourism. He added that small scale entrepreneurs, who participated in the meeting, were until then operating under the auspices of the Awutu/Senya District Assembly�s Micro Finance Credit group at Awutu-Bawjiase. GNA