Government supports Akim Oda traders

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government have made it known to Ghanaians that Ghana’s Economy could respond to rapid growth through the creation of business opportunities and lending of loan facilities to players in the informal sector.

Against this background that the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) has presented a cheque of GH₵ 3,161,500.00 to Ghana Commercial Bank, Akim Oda Branch to be disbursed to traders whose items were burnt in Akim Oda market on Monday 13th September 2021.

Presenting the cheque, Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer for the Ghana Enterprise Agency thanked the government under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for releasing funds to support the victims of the Akim Oda fire outbreak. She also commended the National Disaster Management Organization, Birim Central for putting in place measures to assess the extent of damages caused by the fire outbreak.

According to her, the funds would help the victims to re-start their trading activities so as to reduce unemployment issues confronting residents in Akyem Oda Constituency. Mrs. Kosi urged beneficiaries to open bank account with the Ghana Commercial Bank to enable them to access the funds and urged them to also invest the funds properly to ensure they earn daily bread.

Mrs. Kosi reiterated that the government’s intervention programmes under the auspices of Ghana Enterprise Agency have helped 300,000 Ghanaians when Ghana recorded the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasized that the Agency would continue to provide start-up kits to the needy people as and when the need arises.

For his part, Mr. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency used the occasion to school the beneficiaries on the essence of introducing E-levy tax by the government.

According to him, the E-levy tax policy would widen the tax network of the government and eventually makes government obtain enough funds to undertake projects, programmes and activities in the various sectors of the economy like education, health, agric, roads, among others.

Mr. Alexander hinted that, since Akim Oda Market was gutted by the fire, supports have been given to the victims by the government. He emphasized that, the presentation of the cheque to victims of fire outbreaks by the government through the Ghana Enterprise Agency is not the first of its kind. However, he said the first tranche of the funds has been released to needy persons by the government through MASLOG and informed beneficiaries of the funds to work with the funds.

He told the traders to exercise patience since the government is working assiduously to construct a Market in Akim Oda to help improve the living conditions of the residents.