Access Bank, Deloitte step up efforts to help SMEs to scale up businesses
From Yahaya MASAHUDU, Tamale
In its quest to help build sustainable businesses and maximise profit, Access Bank Ghana PLC has partnered Deloitte Ghana to build the capacity of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
To this end, a business interactive series was held in Tamale to empower SMEs acquire the requisite knowledge and skills to enable them manage their businesses well.
The Access Bank-Deloitte Ghana SME business interactive series aims at supporting a minimum of 10,000 SMEs across the country in the next one year.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the workshop, Group Head, Business Banking at Access Bank, Kafui Bimpe acknowledged the contribution of SMEs to the development of the country, but added that they are vulnerable and need to be supported.
Beyond the capacity building workshops, Mr Bimpe explained that the SMEs will also be given advisory services, access to market, networking sessions and collateral-free loans.
“It will not be a one-day affair. We will continue to monitor [the SMEs]. Business environments are fluid and we need to keep pace. So, as and when we see new changes, we will modify what we are doing to suit them,” he assured.
Mr Bimpe advised SMEs to take advantage of the training in other to help scale up their businesses and become more competitive.
A partner, Assurance Services at Deloitte Ghana, Kwabena Antwi Situ stressed the need for businesses to prioritisemaximisingprofit, compliance and growth.
“For businesses to grow, it’s a function of you taking seriously certain business tools. Number one is budgeting; number two is business plan. If every business is able to do these things, that business will be able to move from one level to the other and make greater impact in the economy,” Mr Situ explained.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu said Access Bank’s mission to set standards for sustainable business practices that unleash the talent of its employees is in synch with government’s agenda of financial inclusion among the unbanked population.
Alhaji Shaibu thanked management and directors of Access Bank for their dedicated services in the region and urged the bank to expand to other parts of the region.
“I would like to thank you for your continuous support and corporate responsibilities that include the allocation of 3 percent of your untaxed income to activities that contribute to strengthening the socio economic, health and the environmental aspects in a given community,” he stated.
He assured the bank that the doors of the Regional Coordinating Council are open for discussions.
