The government is betting big on local enterprise growth through the newly launched Kwahu Business Forum, with hopes to support over 600 businesses before the end of President John Mahama’s current term.
Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, speaking to the media at Jubilee House on Monday, April 14, 2025, highlighted the administration’s strong backing of the initiative.
“We are talking about it at the presidency because of the importance the President attaches to it. It is a project that he wants to see succeed,” Debrah affirmed.
The forum, which debuted in Kwahu, is already drawing interest from financial institutions. According to Debrah, participating banks are expected to select five promising, bankable projects this year.
“The first strategy the bankers themselves gave us is that each of the banks that will show up is going to pick five bankable projects for this year. And they expect that next year, when we return to Kwahu, they will invite those five people they assisted to come and testify,” he explained.
This model, if sustained, could significantly transform Ghana’s entrepreneurial landscape. “If this continues for the next five years, each bank picking a minimum of five enterprises, I’m sure by the end of his four-year tenure, we’ll have over 600 enterprises that we can pinpoint and say these are things President Mahama started,” Debrah noted.
Though branded as the Kwahu Business Forum, there are bigger dreams in the pipeline.
“Even though the name is titled Kwahu Business Forum, I think going into the future, it could be national in character whereby business people will travel from all over the country to converge on Kwahu and to have interaction with bankers and public institutions,” he said.
Debrah also hinted at expanding the forum’s scope to include agencies like the Ghana Revenue Authority.
“So, for example, it should be possible that somewhere along the line next year, they could have maybe the Commissioner General of GRA trying to explain to businesses the advantages they can have and things like that,” he added.
