Monday, January 23, 2012

SMEs get boost

An initiative targetted at bringing thousands of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) online over the next year has been launched in Accra.

Christened ‘Africa, Get Your Business Online’ and powered by Google.com, it is to ensure that businesses across the county will have the opportunity to create their own websites and develop online presences for free.

This project was first launched as a pilot in 2010 by Google, showcasing a selection of businesses within Nigeria and was aimed at small and medium-size businesses, giving local companies the resources and skills to grow their companies online.

“The initiative is expected to transform the Ghanaian SME landscape and contribute to the country’s fast-paced economic growth by making it quick, easy and free for businesses to register online, at a time when more and more Ghanaians are accessing the internet,” said Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Google Ghana Country Manager, at the launch in Accra.

“You often hear an entrepreneur or business owner lamenting how hard it is to build an online presence due to the cost involved, unreliability of suppliers, or simply, their own lack of knowledge about the steps needed to build that online presence.”

She explained that ‘Africa, Get Your Business Online’ addresses these challenges by helping SMEs to take that first bold step towards being online: creating a website, listing themselves on Google maps and setting up a Google+ page.

Ms. Akofio-Sowah added that: “It is easy and free and the potential impact for a business is truly exciting. Together with our partners, we plan to help thousands of Ghanaian SMEs get online.”

Deputy Minister of Communications, Ernest Attuquaye Armah, in a speech read on his behalf said: “In line with goals to build a viable digital economy and sustainable information society in the country, the government supports projects and initiatives that help small and medium businesses in the country to join the digital revolution.

“Google’s ‘Africa, Get, Your Business Online’ initiative presents a significant opportunity for businesses to reach more customers and grow.

“Government remains committed to facilitating e-governance in the country and has been systematically putting in place the necessary platform for launching our nation into the growing world of information and communication technology.

This is evidenced by the robust deployment of ICT infrastructure by the National Information Technology Agency, an agency to facilitate government’s commitment to ensuring that the country is not left behind in the information and technology age.

“On the enhancement of the use of ICT in the country, the government on its part remains committed to facilitating policy developments aimed at promoting ICT education and developmental programmes that will ensure that the youth and graduates are equipped with the necessary information technology to be competitive on the jobs market,” he said.

Mr. Armah encouraged all businesses without an online presence to take advantage of the initiative.

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