President John Dramani Mahama has been praised by Mr. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Parliamentary Minority Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for establishing the Kwahu Business Forum, which continues to influence Ghanaian business.
The Minority Leader said, “This initiative is crucial not only for promoting dialogue but also for translating those conversations into tangible actions that can propel us toward a brighter economic future.
He was giving a speech during the Kwahu Business Forum’s Second Edition opening ceremony in Mpraeso, Kwahu South District, Eastern Region.
President Mahama is the driving force behind the Kwahu Business Forum, a significant endeavor to promote entrepreneurship and aid in the expansion of Ghana’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
It is a direct reaction to the government’s goal of increasing the capability of Ghana’s private sector, particularly in the industrial and agro-processing sectors of the economy.
The Forum, which is a nonpartisan national development agenda, brings together investors, start-ups, business owners, industrialists, and significant industry players to network, exchange experiences, and look at ways to raise money or take advantage of financial institutions’ available goods.
The inaugural forum, which took place at Mpraeso during the Easter celebrations in 2024, was a great success in uniting corporate titans and young entrepreneurs who spoke with then-candidate John Mahama about their expectations and experiences.
“The Future of Business: The Role of the Financial Sector” is the theme of the forum’s second edition.
“Let this be the beginning of sustained support for entrepreneurship in Ghana so that together, we can forge a path toward a brighter and more prosperous economic future,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said, acknowledging the contributions of all the industry players who attended the forum.
As the cornerstone of a shared future, he exhorted the Forum’s firms and entrepreneurs to seize the chances presented to them and to bravely invest in their aspirations.
In order to create a business ecosystem where success is determined by opportunity, hard work, and merit rather than politics, Mr. Afenyo-Markin asked government leaders to continue their support of local business owners and the private sector.
In addition to reminding Ghanaians that the future of their country was closely linked to the active involvement of the private sector, specifically the strength of its indigenous businesses and the vision of its entrepreneurs, he described the forum as a significant platform that continued to stimulate new ideas about Ghana’s economic future.
He reaffirmed that timely and basic strength, agility, and resilience will be crucial to Ghana’s economic destiny.
According to Mr. Afenyo-Markin, no economy could prosper if indigenous businesses were unable to obtain financing to grow and prosper.
“When we empower local businesses with the capital and confidence they need to grow, we do more than boost productivity; we open up new pathways for job creation,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said.
Building a robust and inclusive financial ecosystem was not just an economic necessity but also a social one in a nation where youth unemployment continues to rank among its most pressing national issues.
As someone who has worked in both the public and private sectors for more than 20 years, he spoke to the difficulties that every Ghanaian business owner faces.
“I understand the often-unpredictable road of private enterprise, and so I know firsthand the thrill of opportunity it means to raise capital, to innovate through constraint, and to stay resilient in the face of enterprise. I understand the hurdles that define the entrepreneurial journey,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin stated that his personal experiences with the changing market dynamics and the delicate entrepreneurial ecosystem had strengthened his belief that entrepreneurship was not only a means of subsistence but also a means of establishing a nation.
Source: newsthemegh.com