Accra: Dr Mavis Akuffobea-Essilfie, a Senior Research Scientist, has called for a mandatory auditing of government programmes for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to include women entrepreneurs with disability to promote inclusivity for all and drive economic growth. She also advocated for the establishment of an advisory council with women entrepreneurs as integral members to ensure their input is considered.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Akuffobea-Essilfie, who is affiliated with the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-STEPRI), made these suggestions at a policy dialogue on MSME Innovation Support Programmes and their Impacts in Ghana, held in Accra. The event focused on the theme 'Evidence to Action: Enhancing MSME Innovation Support for Inclusive Enterprise Development in Ghana'.
The dialogue was part of the Distributional Impact of Innovation and SME Support in Ghana project, aimed at generating empirical evidence and strengthening institutional capacity for innovation policy and MSME support evaluation. Dr Akuffobea-Essilfie also recommended the creation of a participatory budget for women entrepreneurs with disability, ensuring their needs are met, and capacity building for politicians and government officials to embrace inclusivity in their programming.
Key insights highlighted by Dr Akuffobea-Essilfie indicated that while some policies are intended to support women entrepreneurs with disabilities, implementation gaps often hinder their success. These gaps include limited access to tailored funding, lack of necessary infrastructure, inadequate monitoring of interventions, and the absence of inclusive business training.
To address these issues, Dr Akuffobea-Essilfie suggested providing female entrepreneurs with disability access to credit facilities with low interest and flexible payment terms. She also urged the establishment of public-private partnerships to promote adaptable infrastructure and accessible working spaces for women with special needs.
Nana Osei-Bonsu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Private Enterprise Federation, noted that the business environment was suffering from a lack of innovation, data, and policy directives. He emphasized that the private sector serves as a vehicle for economic growth rather than job creation and called on the government to empower MSMEs with the right resources, empirical data, and venture capital.
Dr Justina Onumah, Head of the Agriculture, Medicine and Environment Research Division at CSIR-STEPRI, advised the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) to gather profiles of MSMEs applying for funding to tailor support modules accurately. She emphasized the need for strategic investments in the government's 'Edwumawura programme' to achieve desired outcomes, such as market readiness, export capabilities, technological advancement, and innovation.
