Co-operative Union assists fishers with equipment

Mr Kingsley Arko-Sam, Manager of the Winneba branch of the International Labour Organisation Edwumapa Co-operative Credit Union, has advised small scale business operators to avail themselves of entrepreneurial training programmes to promote their businesses.

The Union is equipping fishers, fishmongers, food and vegetable farmers, small scale business operators, carpenters, masons and other artisans with business management, book keeping and other entrepreneurial skills.

Mr Arko-Sam who gave the advice at a meeting in Winneba at the weekend said so far more than 300 business operators had benefited from the programme which was started about six years ago in the Union’s operational areas.

He said the entrepreneurial skills training would help the people to operate their day-to-day businesses effectively.

The Manager said management and the board of directors of the Union have finalised plans to intensify the training programme to ensure that as many small scale business operators in the catchment areas benefit from the initiative.

He said the plan would also cover small scale entrepreneurs in Awutu/Senya, Gomoa West, Agona West and East, and Gomoa East Districts to enable self-employed people in these areas to gain from the programme.

Mr Arko-Sam advised members of the Union against hopping from one micro-finance credit organisations to another, adding that such behavior would not help them, but rather worsened their financial plight.

He said some members of the Edwumapa Credit Union who were enticed with textiles and cooking utensils to leave the body by some of the mushroom micro-finance unions operating in the area have returned to the fold.

Mr Arko-Sam advised the returnees to let their experiences guide them to maintain their trust and confidence in the board of directors and management of the Edwumapa Credit Co-operative Union for good.

Source: GNA