The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on behalf of the Japanese Firm, FANCL Corporation, presented 2,500 face masks and customised African print face masks for children to the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI).
The masks were donated by FANCL Corporation, a Japanese cosmetic and dietary supplement company, through JICA to complement NBSSI’s efforts in supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“JICA recognises the need for MSMEs to be protected during this pandemic, and believes that these face masks will help protect MSMEs and enable them to remain productive and become resilient,” stated Mr. Kazunori Miyasaka, a Representative of JICA who presented the masks to NBSSI for distribution to MSMEs in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.
The Executive Director of NBSSI, Mrs. Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, expressed her gratitude to JICA for their continuous support toward strengthening and growing the MSME Sector, and FANCL Corporation for the kind gesture – particularly at a time when COVID-19 cases are on the rise. She stated that NBSSI will ensure MSMEs receive the masks so they are protected during training sessions.
Mrs. Yankey-Ayeh indicated that extending the Kaizen Project is in alignment with government’s Industrial Transformation Agenda, to change the face of Ghana’s economy through the provision of timely and innovative interventions.
Currently, JICA and NBSSI under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) have entered into a 5-year Enterprise Development Project agreement with Kaizen (EDP-K). The project commenced in 2020 and will provide technical support to develop and implement the following: A Business Development Service Provision Model; A Financial Model to improve MSMEs’ access to finance; A model to enhance the quality of start-up support
NBSSI, the Implementing Partner on the EDP-K project is working with the JICA Project Team to ensure that the enterprise development ecosystem is strengthened to enhance the services provided to existing MSMEs in order to promote their growth and promote start-ups in Ghana.
The JICA Project Team in collaboration with NBSSI has so far conducted a COVID-19 Impact Survey; provided remote consultation to MSMEs; and is currently conducting an online training in Business Planning, Financial Management and Marketing for Heads of the Business Advisory Centres in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions. The JICA Project Team will also provide Kaizen Training, a Japanese business philosophy that looks at helping MSMEs continuously improve their operations to ensure increased productivity and quality of their products/services.
