More than 200,000 MSMEs received over GH¢520m under CAP Buss scheme – Minister

Government, through the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), formerly National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), has disbursed a total amount of GH¢520,111,918.67 to 299,490 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) between May 2020 and June 2021.

Out of the 299,490 beneficiaries who benefited under the GH¢600 million Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAP Buss), 69 per cent were women-owned businesses or MSMEs.

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Finance, said this when he presented the Mid-year fiscal policy review of the budget statement and economic policy of the government to Parliament on Thursday.

He said the intervention unlocked access to finance mainly to women, who would not have been able to access funds to support and build their businesses.

The Minister said technical support was also provided in the form of training in entrepreneurship and financial management to 15,748 beneficiaries across Ghana, with about 67 per cent being females.

“Over 740,000 jobs have been protected and a database of 914,000 MSMEs has been created to inform policy,” he added.

The Minister said support was also given to specific sectors such as the Creative Arts, Media and the private education sector to enable them continue to offer  key services  during the peak  of  the  pandemic.

He said as at end of June 2021, a total of GH¢52,293,093.00 had been disbursed to 29,698 beneficiaries within the creative arts industry.

Additionally, 5,410 private schools, universities, and associations within the educational sector received a total of GH¢41,211,577.

Source: GNA