The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called on private sector investors to leverage investment opportunities in the Peace Building Fund (PBF) project communities to propel the development of these communities.
It said investing in those opportunities would also help create jobs for the people to engage and prevent them from idling and engaging in activities that could result in conflicts.
Madam Melody Azinim, the Peace Analyst for UNDP Ghana made the call in Wa during a private sector investment forum, which created a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on partnerships to develop investment opportunities in communities benefiting from the PBF project
The UNDP facilitated the forum, on the theme: “Accelerating Local Development, Leveraging Private Sector Investment and Partnership”, which brought together public and private sector stakeholders at the regional, district and community levels.
Madam Azinim indicated that the PBF project, jointly implemented by the UNDP and UNFPA, sought to address issues of conflict within the communities, which sometimes resulted from the idleness of the community members.
She said investing to create job opportunities for the community members would enable them to be engaged and focus on contributing to the development of the country, communities, their well-being and improving their living standards.
“That can propel the development of these communities and the district and create job opportunities for the young people, the women and the men in these communities, so people do not sit idle after the rainy season” Madam Azinim explained.
While urging sector investors to help promote peace in those communities for their businesses to thrive, Madam Azinim also entreated community folks to ensure peace prevailed to attract investors into their communities.
Mr Charles Lwanga Posting, the Upper West Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, emphasised that access to finance remained a significant challenge for women and youth-led enterprises in the region.
He, therefore, recognised that the forum provided an opportunity to discuss innovative solutions to address that challenge.
“By enhancing access to finance, we can empower our women and youth to start and grow their businesses, afford a decent living, create jobs for others, and stimulate local economic development”, Mr Puozuing explained.
In a speech read on his behalf, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), stressed the need to support all districts in Ghana to unlock their comparative advantages to attract investments that create sustainable livelihoods.
He indicated that the Upper East, Upper West, and North East Regions, for instance, benefiting from the PBF project, were endowed with rich agricultural potential and artisanal heritage, among others, that could be leveraged to propel their development.
Dr Amoah also acknowledged the structural challenges, such as limited access to financial services, insufficient private investment, climate vulnerabilities, and widespread unemployment in those regions.
She explained that the NDPC, in partnership with the UNDP and under the PBF project, had taken proactive steps, including rolling out an investment toolkit to, among other things, enable districts assess their investment readiness.
Source: GNA
The post UNDP urges investors to leverage opportunities in PBF project communities appeared first on Ghana Business News.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS