The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, 16th February, 2020, commissioned a newly constructed Business Resource Centre (BRC) at Kadjebi in the Akan Constituency, in the Oti Region.
The Business Resource Centre is mandated to promote and support the national industrialization agenda of the Akufo-Addo Government, and will serve as a one-stop-shop for business development and investment in the constituency.
It will also serve as information repositories, which will provide a full range of world-class business development services to potential and existing entrepreneurs at Effiduase Asokore, particularly those linked to the 1D1F initiative.
Already, 67 BRCs are being constructed across the country, and are at various stages of completion, at an estimated cost of $8.58 million, covering the cost of infrastructure and equipment.
37 of the BRCs have been completed, whilst contracts are currently being awarded for the commencement of construction of the remaining 30.
It will be recalled that in November last year, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyerematen, indicated that “the BRCs will offer support services to contribute to the One-District-One Factory initiative, including adopting a more transformative approach to strategically integrating rural informal smallholder raw material supply base into corporate entities along various commodity value chains that have been identified to be relevant the 1D1F projects.”
The Minister for Trade added that "it would also serve as the intermediaries to facilitate the organisation and establishment of the relationship between various actors in these value chains.”
With all districts in the country going to be beneficiaries of the newly constructed and equipped BRCs, Alan Kyerematen stressed that “Ghanaians will begin to understand that this government is serious about developing the private sector at the district level to help us address this challenge of unemployment.”
The operations of the BRCs will be regulated by the National Board for Small-Scale Industries. The 37 District and Municipalities where the BRCs have been constructed are: Ahafo Ano South West, Asante Akim Central Municipal, Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal, Obuasi Municipal, Sekyere East District, Sekyere South, Ejisu Municipal in the Ashanti Region; Asunafo North Municipal, Atebubu-Amantin Municipal, Dormaa Central Municipal, Tano South Municipal, Techiman Municipal in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Others are Agona West Municipal, Assin Fosu Municipal, Awutu Senya District, and Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipal of the Central Region; Asuogyaman District, East Akim Municipal and Kwaebibirem Municipal of the Eastern Region; and Ada East District, and Weija Gbawe Municipal in the Greater Accra Region.
The rest are Sagnarigu Municipal, West Gonja District, Yendi Municipal in the Northern Region; Bawku Municipal, Builsa North District and Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region; Jirapa Municipal, Sissala East Municipal, Wa Municipal in the Upper West Region; Hohoe Municipal, Kadjebi District, South Dayi District, South Tongu District in the Volta; and Sefwi-Wiawso Municipal, Shama District, and Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal in the Western Region.