Business News of Sunday, 2 December 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-12-02
Over 1,200 food makers will be trained in ICT to enhance productive skills
Some 1,200 food makers in the inner cities and Zongo communities will get the prospect to boost their capacities as the sector ministry signs two MoUs to that effect on Monday.
According to the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Zongo Cuisines Development programme is a collaboration with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI).
“It is aimed at providing technical and financial support to already existent small-scale business operators such as food vendors in the aforementioned areas,” he told journalists at a presser Sunday.
The Offoase Ayeribi legislator said the program is aimed at assisting them to access larger markets for their products by enhancing their already existing marketing, preservation and packaging as well as bookkeeping abilities.
Speaking in parliament last Tuesday, the Inner-city and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said the ministry since its inception has put in place a number of socio-economic programmes to improve household incomes of residents.
He also noted that most of the youth in the Zongo communities will be trained in ICT to enable them to redirect their skills into productive ventures.
Throwing more light on the initiatives, the Information minister said Zongo Cuisines Development programme will initially target 600 beneficiaries in 2019 and another 600 in 2020.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah also disclosed that there will be the Zongo Coders Program which starts with an MoU with a non-profit organisation Initiative for Youth Development.
This, he said, “is aimed at training up to 1,000 youth in computer coding and application development and facilitating their operations in the development of computer-based software and applications to tackle contemporary challenges as well as take advantage of economic opportunities in their localities.”
Mr Nkrumah disclosed that the project will commence with an initial 200 beneficiaries and will be scaled up to 1000 in the subsequent months.
“It is expected that the project will aid in creating self-employment and incomes for beneficiaries.
“The apps and technology services to be produced from the project are also expected to increase convenience and productivity for citizens in general. It will span a 24-month period,” he explained.
The Information Minister said these programs are in consonance with the Nana Akufo-Addo administration’s pledge to develop the capacities of residents in Zongo communities.
“It is our belief that these and other interventions in the selected areas will improve the productivity levels and further reduce the hardships of our people,” he said.