THE Ministry of Business Development through its agency, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP),has launched the ‘Ghana Online Mall’ platform for start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana with the view to revamping the marketing opportunities for the private sector.

It will be a directory for all the businesses that will come onto the platform and make it possible for local vendors to sell hard-to-find handmade Ghanaian products.

The first phase of the project, between October and December 2018, will support about 10,000 businesses with full directory, product images and short videos.

It is also expected that about 500,000 businesses will be on the platform in one year.

The online market platform will specifically allow the businesses on the platform to trade among themselves, showcase made in Ghana products and services of start-ups, SMEs to the local and international markets to enable them to market their goods and services for free.

The ‘Ghana Online Mall’ with the domain name ghanaonline.com, will further provide the platform for angel investors to identify potential businesses for investment relations and funding, as well as enhance trade relations among diaspora community and Ghanaian businesses.

Additionally, the Ghana Online Mall platform, which will be a pool of service providers with diverse background, will be an avenue to provide jobs for students, unemployed graduates, busy moms, artisans and all those who can offer some form of services in the comfort of their homes.

Launching the platform yesterday in Accra, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, IgnatiusBaffuorAwuah, said government anticipates to create a minimum of 8,000 jobs from the initiative within the first 12 months.

“Our commitment to empower the private sector to enhance the national development is critical. In this regard, the maintenance of macroeconomic stability over the long term is crucial to increase private sector investment and to facilitate business”, he indicated.

He noted that digital marketing facilitates effective communication with customers at a relatively low cost for the firm and customers can get enough information concerning their products and services.

Baffuor-Awuah was optimistic that Ghana Online Mall will be another platform to accelerate business growth and help Ghana to build micro-multinationals that will bring foreign direct investments to boost the economy of Ghana.

He congratulated the Ministry of Business Development and its agency NEIP on the number of initiatives that are being implemented to create an entrepreneurial culture, promotion of business growth in the country and working to achieve the vision of making Ghana the most business-friendly country in Africa.

Minister for Business Development, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, in his welcoming address, indicated that government intends to create a productive and knowledge driven economy which can be only achieved when young entrepreneurs are empowered strategically with skills and competencies to compete.

He believes that objective can effectively be achieved with the ‘Ghana Online Mall’ coming into being.

According to DrAwal, young entrepreneurs must have certain attributes in order to compete globally with their products and services.

“To succeed in the global markets value chain, your products and services must be competitive and failing to do so will see you swept under the carpet”, he stated.

He urged all those who would benefit to expect that they are going to compete with over 7 billion people globally and must, therefore, be disciplined in their dealings.

“When you are competing globally, there is no Ghana time and Ghana practice, it is must be global standard practice” he stressed.

He emphasized that government’s flagship initiatives such as the ‘One District One Factory’, ‘One District, One Dam’, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ and ‘Free SHS’ are to make Ghana a more productive country.

The launch was followed by products and goods exhibition by some entrepreneurs who benefited for the Presidential Business Support Programme (PBSP).