Nkoranza (B/A), June 27, GNA - The Programme Outstanding Managers (PUM), a Netherlands based non-profit organisation, has sent a three-member delegation to the Brong Ahafo Region to upgrade the professional and technical skills of some medium-sized industries in the Region. Mr Jacobus Adreas Verhaegen one of the experts, who is spending 13 day= s in Nkoranza with the beneficiary entrepreneurs, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that two of his colleagues had been posted to Sunyani and Techiman to promote the leather and carpentry industries. He said it was the vision of the PUM to combat poverty by creating employment opportunities and developing the private sector globally. Mr Verhaegen also announced that the organisation had also arranged business links and training programmes with private sector industries in Holland to boost support for corporate social responsibility especially in terms of working conditions and environmentally-friendly production. He said PUM was operating in some 70 countries throughout the Africa, Latin America, Central Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Mr Verhaegen said his organisation had offered consultancy services to more than 2,000 projects globally every year. PUM, with some 42 permanent staff members is subsided by the Netherlands Authorities such as the Ministries of Development Co-operation, Economic Affairs and Environment.

The staff of the organisation has a highly digitalised infrastructure at Hague, its headquarters. Mr Johnson Gyimah, Director of 93Ask God Alone Enterprise" a benefi= ciary of the training programme commended Mr Verhaegen for visiting his business premises to offer advice and encouragement towards the growth of his industry.

He said the major challenge facing the enterprise, which was established in 1992 to offer services such as photography, video coverage and wedding dressings and decorations was inadequate working space, printin= g materials and modern equipment as well as lack of funds to expand production. He therefore pleaded with PUM to support his enterprise to expand to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth in the area.