KAIZEN is a Japanese philosophy and methods of quality and productivity which are key for Japanese industrial development and applied techniques. 

The award was instituted by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to acknowledge the tremendous output of SMEs and application of high KAIZEN skills by Business Advisory Centres (BACs) to their clients.

The two enterprises are Salom Pharmacy Limited from the Ashanti Region and Shekinah Glory Bakeries from the Northern Region. The NBSSI and JICA launched the KAIZEN International Project in 2012 to strengthen capacity of NBSSI on its Business Development Services provision and facilitation in the target areas.

The project started in the Ashanti Region on a pilot and based on the successes of the first phase, the second phase, “National KAIZEN Project” was launched in 2015 to cover the whole country.

Currently, the Northern, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions are benefitting from the phase two of the project. Greater Accra and the Central regions were also recently roped into the project.   Speaking at the award ceremony in Accra, the Chief Representative of JICA Ghana, Mr Koji Makino, said the KAIZEN project was completely aligned with and would contribute to Ghana’s policy on; “Sowing the Seeds for Growth and Jobs” as well as “One District One Factory Initiatives”.

He said one of the important keys to achieving those initiatives was industrialisation with competitiveness. “On the other hand, in the State-of-the-Nation Address, SME development is identified as one of the key pillars for industrial transformation of the country. “In achieving such transformation, we strongly believe that the KAIZEN philosophy is an essential tool and contributes to increasing and improving the quality and productivity in manufacturing,” he said.

Mr Makino said the KAIZEN project implemented the capacity development of Business Advisory Centres and also provide business development advices to SMEs. He cataloged a number of SMEs on the project which had achieved 43 per cent in increased productivity as they were able to reduce production days from seven to five days and also reduce waste in the system.

Those evidence, he said, was an indication that beneficiary SMEs of the KAIZEN training are recording sustainable decrease in production costs and sustainable increase in productivity respectively.

He, therefore, pledged JICA’s commitment to working together with the Ghana Government to help create conducive environment for the private sector to develop, beginning with the small businesses.

“We will continue to implement development co-operation programmes that will sustainably develop the formal and informal sectors through policy and field work activities,” he added. Mr Lukman Abdul-Rahim, the Executive Director of NBSSI, said they appreciated the success of the KAIZEN project in Ghana and commended the JICA for the collaboration.

He said the project was aimed at helping the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve productivity and quality. He, therefore, urged the media to open up to the Board to engage them on the project as well as help institute the KAIZEN project in the various media houses to enhance their productivity and reduce waste.

Mr Kaoru Yoshimura, the Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, said he was delighted of the great strides that the KAIZEN project had made since its inception. He said many small and medium scale businesses continued to benefit from the project and that success was of particular interest, especially in light of commitments by Japan to promote KAIZEN across the continent.

He said with diligent implementation of the project, he could give the assurance that Ghana would be one of the most successful countries, especially in West Africa, in development and promotion of SMEs.      

Mr Alex Opoku Agyeman, the Chief Executive Officer of Salom Pharmacy Limited, commended the JICA and NBSSI for the recognition and pledged their commitment to support the project in Ghana.

The best KAIZEN Champion Business Advisory Centre went to the Obuasi Business Advisory Centres in the Ashanti Region and Saboba BAC in the Northern Region. The Northern Regional Office took the Best Regional Office award.

All the 10 regions also received the Best BAC award.