SELF-EMPLOYED YOUTH ADVISED TO ADOPT SOUND FINANCIAL PRACTICES

The Volta Regional Member of the Council of State, Dr. Bernard Glover has advised self-employed youth to adopt sound financial practices in the operations of their businesses.

He said this during the first-ever presentation of start up equipment to 30 beneficiaries at Adutor n the South Tongu District.

The equipment, worth 9,000 Ghana Cedis, was presented to graduate apprentices by the South Tongu District Assembly under its Rural Enterprise Project. The items included machines, gadgets and tools for seamstresses, carpenters, hairdressers, auto-mechanics, barbers, auto-electricians, TV/radio and motor mechanics.

The equipment were procured with funds from the World Bank supported by counter funding from the South Tongu District Assembly.

Speaking at the ceremony, the district chief executive of South Tongu District, Daniel Amelorku said the presentation was the first in the district since the inception of the program in the country.

He disclosed that the presentation of the start up equipment forms part of the Assembly’s affirmative actions to alleviate poverty and that the Assembly would increase its counter funding to enable more than 60 people benefit from the project next year..

Mr Amelorku hinted that the Assembly is exploring other small scale industries to assist such as crop, fish and animal farming, in addition to agro processing through value addition. This would create jobs and income generating activities for the youth and the employed, he said.

During his address, the MP for South Tongu constituency, Korbla Mensah Woyome said the presentation was a point of sensitization that government was forthcoming with some form of support to the citizenry for economic growth.

He advised artisans and apprentice graduates to establish banking practices to enable the Agave Rural bank come to their assistance. Without such sound business practices governments aim to invest in people would not achieve the needed results, the MP emphasized.

The head of the Rural Enterprises Project in the district, Mr Joseph Aplakpui, disclosed that the beneficiaries have been given training in business management skills to enable them use their equipment profitably.

He said they would be monitored regularly to ensure that they do not misuse the equipments so others can also benefit from the project. END.