By Ernest Bako WUBONTO
The government of Switzerland, through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), has announced a CHF65million (approximately US$77million) grant to support three strategic development areas in Ghana, including the improvement of local governance systems.
The initiative, dubbed the SECO Country Programme 2025–2028, aims to strengthen local governance, boost private sector development and promote environmental sustainability over the next four years.
A key component of the programme will focus on enhancing local government performance and service delivery through decentralised budget support and capacity-building efforts.
The programme will also provide support for urban development and targetted assistance to strategic value chains and enterprises in selected regions, ultimately contributing to sustainable local economic development.
The grant’s second component targets private sector development by promoting a business-enabling environment, improving access to finance and increasing productivity and competitiveness in sectors such as agro-processing, textiles and light manufacturing. These interventions are expected to generate jobs and improve incomes in the beneficiary regions.
The third area of focus is environmental integration. Under this pillar, the programme will support renewable energy initiatives, sustainable supply chain management and circular economy practices to preserve ecological integrity and promote green growth.
Speaking at the programme’s launch, Swiss Ambassador to Ghana Simone Giger emphasised that the initiative reflects Switzerland’s commitment to helping Ghana build a resilient and inclusive economy.
“Resilience means being able to withstand external shocks. The past few years have shown that economies need buffers to survive crises like COVID-19. This programme is part of our support to strengthen Ghana’s value chains and economic foundations,” she said.
She added that strengthening international trade standards, enhancing integration into local and global value chains and fostering collaboration with Swiss businesses and academic institutions are central to the programme’s long-term objectives.
Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Daniel Kwaku Botwe, speaking on behalf of government acknowledged that Ghana’s recent economic growth has been uneven, heavily reliant on commodities such as oil, cocoa and gold. This, he noted, has left the economy undiversified and vulnerable to shocks, exacerbating inequity and slowing poverty reduction.
“To revitalise our local economies and confront these challenges, we must create jobs, improve the business environment, enhance governance and preserve the environment. With strengthened local governance, a dynamic private sector and a commitment to sustainability, Ghana is poised to build a resilient and diversified economy,” he stated.
He commended the Swiss government for its long-standing partnership with Ghana – highlighting over two decades of development cooperation, particularly in areas such as budget support and institutional strengthening across all 261 districts.
The minister also referenced the Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Programme (GPSCP II), an earlier intervention supported by Switzerland.
The programme improved productivity and working conditions in the textiles and shea sectors, supporting 156 SMEs and impacting around 12,000 workers – 85 percent of whom were women.
