Mampong (Ash), Aug 6, GNA - The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has given a grant of 395 million cedis to the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers (GNATH) to enhance their research work and other activities. Part of the grant would be used to purchase equipment for the manufacturing of tablets and capsules and the acquisition of the Association's permanent secretariat to effectively co-ordinate their activities.

Mr Kwame Buor, chairman of the Ashanti Region branch of the Association of Small-Scale Industries (ASSI), disclosed this at the inauguration of the Sekyere West District branch of ASSI at Mampong on Friday.

He said the facility was granted to the GNATH under the Ideas Fund of DANIDA two months ago. Mr Buor entreated members of the respective associations under the ASSI to explore avenues in sourcing for funds to expand their scope of businesses since the private sector remained the engine of growth of the economy.

He called on Small-Scale and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to form partnerships and always strive to upgrade their technical knowledge to facilitate their work.

Mr Haruna Oppong Boateng, Sekyere West District Chief Executive, urged the youth not to shun vocational and technical education. He reiterated that government would soon integrate compulsory apprenticeship training in technical skills in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) programme to enable students who drop out to acquire employable training skills to help them in their development.