OVER 2,000 GHANAIAN YOUTH SEEK YES SUPPORT
Mad. Helga Boadi taking the applicants through the interview requirements |
The number of applications has
however been reduced after a pre-selection phase to sift the applications ahead
of the conduct of the actual selection of qualified requests.
The Youth
Enterprise Support, which is under the office of the President, was launched by
President John Mahama in September last year in accordance with the
government’s manifesto promise.
The Chief Executive Officer of YES, Madam Helga
Aryee Boadi made this known to the Ashanti Today in Kumasi on the fringes of the start of
a two-day Clinic for applicants from the Ashanti region.
The 120 applicants
were taken through their own Business Plans when the shortcomings were detected
and hinted on what the Selection Interview Panel would be looking out for
during the final selection interview later in the year.
Madam Boadi said YES
has no specific number of applicants to settle on for support, but has
prioritized poultry production, agriculture and aquaculture to boost the
national economy.
According to her, even though the Ministry of Agric has
instituted a policy by which importers of poultry products must first procure
40 percent of their requirement from the local market, there is the complaint
that the local poultry market is unable to meet the demand.
It is for this
reason that YES has decided to give a further impetus to local poultry
production to reduce the current level of importation.
Madam Boadi explained
also that the money to be given to any of the qualified applicant is a loan
that should be re-paid by the beneficiaries for the sustenance of the Fund
adding that YES is taking all the precautionary measures to minimize the risk
associated with the Fund.
The YES disclosed that so far, 10 individuals
selected in the various regions are being used as pilot to test the prospect
and viability of the initiative. One of such pilot beneficiaries is in the
Ashanti region.
He is a 34-year old entrepreneur, Lawrence Botchway, a second
year student of the Valley View University who also owns a 50 acre cassava farm
at Dida, a farming community in the Atwima Kwanwoma district.
Mr. Botchway told
the Ashanti Today interview that he is looking forward to receiving 50 thousand Ghana
Cedis from YES to also establish a cassava processing factory to be attached to
the farm for industrial starch production. Mr. Botchway expressed satisfaction
with the processes involved in the selection and described it as very fair,
objective, transparent and devoid of party politics.
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