The Minister for Inner-Cities and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, has indicated that the Ministry is putting up measures to train women in the Zongo communities on their indigenous businesses.
Speaking in parliament , Dr. Hamid pointed out that the Ministry has initiated a number of socio-economic programmes that are aimed at developing the human capacities of the people in the Zongo communities, empowering them to be economically productive and supporting the promotion of their indigenous businesses, in order to improve household incomes.
Dr. Hamid explained that the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across the Zongo communities, who have businesses in the sale of local foods, to improve the development and packaging of such foods.
Dr. Hamid further added that the NBSSI also aims to accredit some of the selected women, who shall become ready sources of local foods to conferences, meetings and hotels.
Following a question by Member of Parliament for Garu, Mr. Albert Akaku Alalzuugu on the programmes the Ministry has put in place to help improve livelihood in the zongo communities, Dr. Hamid stated that the Zongo Coders Programme will train, improve and redirect the Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills of the youth in the Zongo communities into productive ventures.
The Minister revealed that his Ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Business Development and Access Bank to provide capital to businesses in the Zongo communities, and that the programme will roll out in the first quarter of 2019.
Speaking further on the government’s initiatives to improve the livelihood of the Zongo communities, Dr. Hamid disclosed that there is a joint programme between the Ministry and Yankasa Association and other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to provide books, classroom books and furniture to schools in the Zongo communities.
He however informed the House that there is a cap on the amount of money allocated to the Zongo Development Fund to support the Zongo communities through the Zongo Development Fund Act.
He ended by noting further, that 16 communities have been listed to benefit, for the first quarter of the programme in 2019.
The Zongo Development Fund Act, capping and funding
The Zongo Development Fund Act, 2017 (Act 964) is to provide financial resources to develop and transform the social and economic condition of the zongo communities, and to provide for the management of the Fund and for related matters.
Meanwhile, the Act did not specify in any of its Sections, the amount allocated to the Fund as well as capping, as stated by the Minister.
The Zongo Development Fund Act, 2017 (Act 964) was passed by Parliament and assented to by the President on January 2, 2017.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
