Sunyani, Nov. 17, GNA - A two-day review and planning workshop for 13 district officers and staff of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in the Brong-Ahafo Region opened on Thursday. The workshop afforded participants an opportunity to share ideas, experiences and knowledge gained in the line of duty during the previous year as well as discussing a proposed workable plan for the coming year. Ms. Beatrice Boakye, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Manageress of NBSSI, said in 2007 the Board would identify the economic potentials of each district and support it to grow.

She mentioned logistical shortfall, low capital and higher labour turnover as some of the problems hindering the board's operations in the region and appealed to the government for assistance.

Anya Schmidt, an Economist with Deutsher Entwieklungsdienst working with the NBSSI, said there was the need to tackle the bottlenecks facing government's efforts at meeting the needs of its agencies to promote the growth of the private sector.

Mr Berfi Mensah, Chairman of NBSSI, said the major challenge facing the association was how to extend its tentacles from Sunyani to other parts of the region.

He appealed to the government to channel the District Assemblies Common Fund and the Poverty Alleviation Fund to the association to ensure rightful disbursement to members in the districts.