More Businesses In Sunyani Rush For Support

A LOT of small scale enterprises and traders in the Sunyani Municipality of the Bono Region are rushing to register with National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) so as to benefit from the government’s stimulus package meant to cushion enterprises affected by coronavirus (Covid-19).

Regional Director of the NBSSI, Anthony Akolbire, told DAILY GUIDE that the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme was meant to help only Ghanaian businesses, which had been impacted negatively by the pandemic.

Calling on more small scale business owners to tap into the opportunity, he said persons who were interested in benefiting from the package could register with the NBSSI.

Mr Akolbire added that applicants were to ensure their businesses were registered and situated in Ghana, had a Tax Identification Number (TIN), possessed an identity card such a driver’s licence or Ghana Card, Social Security and National Insurance Trust Number (SSNIT No) and also a GPS Address. 

He said with the above named identities there was no way owners of small scale businesses in any part of the country could not register successfully online.

He advised applicants to dial *718*555# to generate a code, which they could take to NBSSI’s website and register. 

According to Mr. Akolbire, unlike previous occasions when the NBSSI used to charge a registration fee of GH¢50 for applicants to such packages, applicants seeking to receive support from the Covid-19 Fund were not to pay registration fees.

He said all applicants who paid GH¢60 to the Sunyani directorate of the NBSSI would have their money refunded to them.

He explained further that it would take three months to distribute the fund, beginning from the first week of June, while registration was expected to end by 20 of this month.

Mr Akolbire asked all businesses, which had been impacted to the extent that they laid off their employers, including private schools, to apply for the support.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, as part of his administration’s efforts to cushion small scale enterprises affected by the Covid-19, allocated GH¢600 million and an additional GH¢400 million for distribution to them to support their operations.  

FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani