A Non-Profit and policy-oriented platform has been inaugurated to unite accomplished business owners, corporate executives, and enterprise leaders at a ceremony in Accra last week.
Known as the Kwahu Business Advocacy Association (KBAA), the platform is aimed at creating an enabling environment to improve the country’s economic development.
The association also aims to provide a forum where business leaders can engage government stakeholders, translating enterprise experience into actionable ideas to support trade policy formulation and implementation.
Membership is open to all business owners and is not limited to Kwahu businesses and business executives.
Among the dignitaries that attended were the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, former Minister of Finance, Seth Terkpe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, and MP for Afram Plains North, Kpeli Worlase.
At the ceremony, the Board of Trustees and the Managing Board of the Association were officially introduced, while the KBAA Logo was also unveiled.
Businesses
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare called on the association to provide stronger networks and a clear voice for engaging with governments and partners.
She said the government’s focus was to encourage the growth of raw materials for local processing and export.
She said the ministry was implementing the “Feed the Industry” programme that links production to processing, as part of measures to address financing constraints, particularly affordable long-term financing for firms to invest and scale.
She, however, encouraged businesses to invest in contract commercial farming and agro-processing, urging them to be consistent in quality packaging to attract and retain buyers.
“I urge this association to make youth development a visible part of your programme, even if it is only one internship slot each year by each company, or a structured apprenticeship in your shops and factories, it will change lives. We are not only creating jobs, but we are building businesses that will outlive us,” she said.
KBAA
Speaking on behalf of the association, the Head of its Managing Board, Kwaku Nyarko-Pong, said the body was positioned as an institution for enterprise development, advocacy, and structured engagement, rather than a pressure group driven by partisan interests.
He said the country’s ability to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the proposed 24-hour economy and accelerated export development depended on stronger coordination among producers, traders, financiers and regulators.
From market activity and distribution networks to warehousing, transportation, real estate, and leadership roles in finance, Mr Nyarko-Pong said that Kwahu entrepreneurs have consistently been at the forefront of the country’s commercial and industrial development.
The President of the association, Kwabena Adjare Danquah, thanked the founding members for their confidence in his ability to lead the association, expressing his commitment to serve with integrity and purpose.
He reiterated that the association’s focus areas included advocacy, membership value, innovation, business development, and job creation through collaboration and enterprise expansion.
Integrity
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, who chaired the event, said it was essential to instil honesty and integrity in people, not just teach them how to produce, trade, or market.
Citing a personal experience, he said he lost significant investments due to dishonest partners and stressed the need to incorporate ethical attitudes into business models to ensure honesty and integrity for success.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh