The programme was organized by SMEGA - an NGO, in conjunction with the Trade and Industry Ministry, Vodafone Ghana, Activa Insurance and the Heritage Bank. This was the fifth to be held, after Tamale, Kumasi, Takoradi and Accra.    It brought together more than 100 participants including artisans and dressmakers.

Mr. Kwasi Ofori, SMEGA’s Project Leader, underlined the need for SMEs to put premium on packaging and branding, saying, that was vital to penetrate both the domestic and global market.

It was the way to go to make their products more attractive to consumers – to become competitive. Mr. Ofori expressed concern about situation where some Ghanaian products had not been able to stand the competition on the local and international market all because of unattractive packaging and labelling.

That needed to radically change to make the “Ghana beyond aid” a dream come true.

SMEGA has been at the forefront of the drive towards providing SMEs with access to markets and investment. Ms. Maame Efua Essel, High Value Customer Sales Manager of Vodafone, said technology application had increasingly become an important tool for growing businesses.

That explains the involvement of the telecommunications company in the project to train businesses on how to use various social media platforms to build and expand their operations.