MTN Ghana disburses Ghc1.3 million cash to 140 SMEs, 27 from Ashanti Region

A total of 140 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have received a cash amount of Ghc1.3 million from the telecommunication network giant, MTN Ghana.

The disbursement which benefited the 27 SMEs from the Ashanti Region also benefited other selected ones from the Greater Accra and Western regions.

Being part of the MTN Ghana's economic empowerment project, beneficiaries received varied support ranging from GHc5,000 (minimum) to GHc10,000 being maximum, depending on the request application each of the 140 beneficiaries submitted.

The short ceremony was held on Tuesday, 31st October, 2023, at Nhyiaeso - Kumasi, where 27 out of 140 beneficiaries from the Ashanti Region were introduced.

Speaking at the ceremony, Madam Cynthia Mills who is the Economic Empowerment Advisor at the MTN Ghana, advised the beneficiaries to put the funds to good use to help them expand their businesses, and to be able to employ more people.

She revealed that, the overall intention of the Board of Directors and Management of MTN Ghana for the five-year economic empowerment project for SMEs was to help them expand their businesses and employ more people as part of measures to help fight against poverty and unemployment in the country.



She said beneficiaries who had been taken through a two-month intensive training in the areas of business development, financial management, social media marketing, customer care among others, had also been given merchant accounts.



She further disclosed that interest-free loans were given to three categories of SMEs, which included youth category, women’s category and persons with disabilities category.

"We’re giving you the funds very close to Christmas because we know people would need your products more in this period but please don’t use the money or the funds for Christmas purchase, funeral, clothing and social events," She urged.

According to her, these beneficiaries were the first batch of the five-year project.
Adding that background checks were thoroughly done on all the beneficiaries to find out if they truly deserved the support. She said MTN-Ghana would monitor and follow up on them to ensure they make good use of the funds and what they were taught during the two-month training.

Some beneficiaries who shared what they had learnt during the training, said it would really benefit them and indicated they were going to make good use of them to improve their businesses.

A number of the beneficiaries who spoke to the media expressed excitement and thanked MTN Ghana, for being part of the selection from the many applicants.

They therefore promised to adhere to what they were taught and use the fund for its intended purpose so as to support government’s unemployment and poverty reduction strategy.