About 20 SMEs receive tablets to boost digital cross-border trade

By Francis Ntow

Accra, July 30, GNA – About 20 Ghanaian micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have received tablets and training to increase their participation in cross-border trade, particularly through digital means.

This is part of the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Cross-Border Cooperation Women in Development Network Project, which aims to empower women entrepreneurs for cross-border trade in the region and beyond.

Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in charge of International Trade, presented the tablets to the beneficiaries in Accra on Monday, July 29.

During the event, the female traders were also educated on trade finance and the use of the tablet.

According to Nana Asiamah-Adjei, the devices can help female traders track their cash flow, their accounting, connect with investors and financial institutions, and connect with suppliers.

The Deputy Minister of Trade noted that while women SMEs dominate cross-border trade, access to trade finance remains a challenge.

The ECOWAS project, besides providing tools to increase women’s participation in digital trade, would also create a platform where SMEs can access trade finance through education and technical assistance, she said.

Speaking to the media after the launch of the tablets, Nana Asiamah-Adjei said that over the years, many female traders have undergone training on customs procedures, accounting and social media retailing.

She said ECOWAS through the Cross-Border Cooperation Women in Development Network Project supported the ministry in providing tablets that would enable women traders, including importers, to benefit from the new era.

She pledged the ministry’s continued support for business operations, particularly those in the private sector, including women-led/owned SMEs, to stimulate economic growth and stability.

Pearl Poku, Coordinator of the Women’s Department of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed her gratitude to the Ministry and the ECOWAS Commission for the tablets.

“Holding our money with us has become a thing of the past with education and the introduction of digital platforms and access to financial assistance for SMEs in cross-border trade by the Department of Commerce. The devices will enhance our ability to trade online,” she said.

GNA

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