Panelists at US-Ghana Alumni programme discuss socio-economic prospects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
Government has been urged to do more to tackle the devastating social and economic dimensions of this COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the most affected: women, the youth, low-wage workers, small and medium enterprises among others.
This is according to the panelists at the maiden U.S.-Ghana Alumni Association (USGHAA) stakeholder forum on socioeconomic prospects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Association, that means designing policies able to support the direct provision of resources to support workers and households, and support to businesses to recover from the pandemic.
Speaking at a stakeholder dialogue organized by the Association on the theme, “post pandemic recovery; socioeconomic prospects amidst the chaos, President of the U.S.-Ghana Alumni Association (USGHAA), Hilda Mantebea Boye reiterated the need for Ghanaian businesses, particularly Small and Medium-sized enterprises, should take advantage of the opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to grow.
She also highlighted the need for more to be done by stakeholders especially those in the private sector to keep intensifying efforts to bridge these gaps especially for the small businesses.
“As we are all aware, these are difficult times for people. The effect of the pandemic, the Russia Ukraine war has been very devastating. And we can all testify to this. Thankfully today, we have put together a panel that has been drawn from regular sectors of the economy to discuss the socio-economic prospects amidst the chaos. I hope it provides an avenue to stimulate discussions and share solutions to drive socio economic growth. I hope you will learn a thing or two to help your business thrive,” she said.
Chairman for the Greater Accra chapter of the Association of Ghana Industries, Tsonam Akpeloo, also called on government to incentivize the private sector to expand production capacities and create jobs.
He noted that despite being important and contributing significantly to the socio-economic growth and development of the nation, MSMEs are also confronted with challenges that affect their production and export potential, thereby hindering their ability to participate fully in global trade.
The programme was graced by Stephanie Hutchson, Economic Section Chief at the US Embassy, Tsonam Akpeloo, Chairman for the Greater Accra chapter of the Association of Ghana Industries, Brigitte Dzogbenuku, Entrepreneur, Regina Honu, Software Developer, CEO, Soronko Solutions and Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur, a medical doctor and clinical psychologist.
Source: Ghana Business
