Koforidua, June 7, GNA - The Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Hadjia Alima Mahama, has announced that the government is to establish a Business Support Unit to assist women entrepreneurs. She said plans were far advanced to identify 10 women in every region who were already in business so as to help them with credits to "grow their business" as well as those in need.

The move, she said was part of the government's effort to assist women to reduce poverty through the micro credit scheme.

Hadjia Alima Mahama said this when she paid a working visit to institutions under her Ministry at Koforidua on Monday.

The visit also afforded her the opportunity to interact with a cross-section of women leaders in the Eastern Region, especially those groups that had benefited from the micro-credit assistance. Hadjia Alima Mahama said those who would be given the micro-credit support would also be assisted to obtain markets for their products. She called on women to take active part in next year's District Assembly Election by identifying the capable ones and also encouraging interested ones to contest, since the Ministry wanted more women in the assemblies.

Hadjia Alima Mahama cautioned women to avoid engaging in child trafficking and urged them to look out for those who engaged in the act and expose them to the appropriate authorities.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Susana Mensah, said District Assemblies in the Region were currently operating a support and care programme for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), saying that every district was allocated with 25,000 dollars for the programme. Briefing the Minister, the acting New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Adjei Boateng, said the assembly had assisted many women through the granting of loans to expand their businesses and called on them to make good use of such assistance.