The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) is assisting Ghana’s 560 Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to formalise their businesses to enable them to compete in formal markets, including the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The scheme is also supported by the Mastercard Foundation under their Young Africa Works Business Formalisation Project.
Under an intervention called Progressive Licensing Scheme, the beneficiaries are being aided to have one of their products certified by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) at a reduced or no cost at all as well as receive training on branding and packaging.
The scheme is aimed at helping MSMEs get certification from regulatory organisations.
The Executive Director of the NBSSI, Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, said that the MSMEs were selected from sectors such as agric and agro-processing, food and beverages, manufacturing (cosmetics and household chemicals) and pharmaceuticals.
She said under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the FDA, last year, the MSMEs, including 465 women-owned businesses, were being assisted financially to have one of their products per business certified at a reduced or no cost at all.
