President Akufo-Addo, yesterday, decided to show love to some 1,000 male Persons With Disability (PWD).
This was when he gave them a GH?2 million bailout to support their businesses under the Presidential Empowerment for Male Entrepreneurs (PEMED) at the Jubilee House.
Each of them went home smiling with cash cheques ranging from between GH?10,000 and GH?50,000 to boost their businesses as part of government’s programme to empower entrepreneurs living with disabilities.
Addressing beneficiaries and attendees at the presentation ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said the monies advanced to the beneficiaries in the four categories made up of barbers, shoemakers, tailors & designers and trade & commerce were 50% grant and 50% interest-free loans that were payable after two years.
PEMED is an initiative of the Ministry of Business Development, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP).
President Akufo-Addo, therefore, charged the beneficiaries to ensure that they used the financial resources given them to work hard, create jobs and to make Ghana proud.
“It is expected that you will be guided by the structured training you have undergone to enable you scale up your businesses and create job opportunities for people. I charge all of you to go out there and make us proud,” he said.
Executive Director of Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), Rita Kusi Kyeremaa, expressed profound gratitude to government for the initiative.
She however asked for the programme to be extended to several other groups of PWDs in the country.
“We respectfully appeal that more person with disabilities be considered to benefit from this great initiative. Your Excellency, we cannot thank you enough for your continued support for persons with disabilities,” she said.
Beneficiaries could not hide their excitement at the gesture with a promise to live up to expectation.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent