The 2013 West Africa Business Expo to be held in Accra would on September 5th and 6th next month have been launched under the theme:”Kick Starting and Sustaining Business Growth”.

Nana Akrasi Sarpong, the Acting Director of Communication and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, launching the event on Friday in Accra, said Expo 2013 would help visitors explore and discover business opportunities.

He added that it would widen the scope of entrepreneurs in the global market, adding that ”because of the Expo, today we have business owners who are better informed and educated to run their business effectively”.

“It is a fact that entrepreneurial activities have been the engine that drives our economy. It has been the source of employment, income generation for households and revenue for the government, which contributes to the national development.

“The Ministry has worked hard in creating the enabling environment and implementing sound policies such as the trade sector programme, private sector development strategies and industrial sector support programme to support these business' growth,” Nana Sarpong noted.

He noted that the expected amendment of the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund to provide funding directly to support the growth of private sector and other policy interventions underscored the importance the government attached to private development.

“It is important that creative and innovative ways are undertaken by other organisations both public and private to support what the Ministry and Industry is doing,” he added.

Madam Harriet Adala, the Chief Executive Officer of Hak Solutions, organizers of the Expo, said most people in Ghana today were struggling to start businesses of their own, but they did not know how to go about it, explaining that, the Expo would help such people.