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IFC and BusyInternet Launch SME Toolkit in Ghana to Provide Small Businesses with Access to Business Information and Training
Accra, November 29, 2007 — IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, has partnered with BusyInternet, Ghana’s
leading information and telecommunications center, to launch a free Web
site and toolkit that will provide better access to information and training
for Ghanaian businesses.
The Ghana SME Toolkit, to be launched
during the first half of 2008, will offer a range of interactive content
to support small business owners and managers in seven core business areas:
accounting and finance, business planning, human resources, legal and insurance,
marketing and sales, operations, and information technology. Through the
toolkit, small businesses will be able to access free learning resources
and help in implementing sustainable business practices. Businesses will
also be able to use it to partner with local support providers and go global
by accessing detailed market, investment, and trade information on over
64 countries with the strongest export potential.
Estelle Sowah, BusyInternet’s Managing
Director, said, “Small businesses account for the bulk of the private
sector in Ghana, yet their success rates are not as high as they should
be because of poor access to good business management practices. The SME
Toolkit will provide Ghanaian businesses with information and the new collaborative
technologies they need to help them grow and prosper.”
Lizabeth Bronder, IFC SME Toolkit Manager,
said, “We are delighted to sign this agreement with BusyInternet Services
and to add Ghana as one of the African SME Toolkit sites. Having partners
that can provide country-specific content, local marketing, and bundled
technology services will make the toolkit more relevant for small business
clients and entrepreneurs.”
IFC distributes the SME Toolkit in several
countries through partnerships with local organizations that can translate
the product into local languages and offer relevant content locally in
areas such as business regulations, sources of financing, and business
directories, as well as support the distribution of the local versions
to SMEs in their markets.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group,
fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing
private sector investment, mobilizing private capital in local and international
financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services
to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision is that poor people have the
opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed
$8.2 billion and mobilized an additional $3.9 billion through loan participations
and structured finance for 299 investments in 69 developing countries.
IFC also provided advisory services in 97 countries. For more information,
visit www.ifc.org.
About BusyInternet
Established in 2001, BusyInternet is
Ghana’s largest privately operated information and telecommunications
center that provides innovative services to meet the needs of businesses
and individuals. The company provides reliable, affordable Internet services
to the public. With state-of-the-art Internet access facilities, fully
serviced executive office suites, digital documentation services, and high-tech
training and conferencing facilities, the company serves more than a thousand
clients a day. For more information, visit www.busyinternet.com.
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