Ho, Oct.21, GNA - Mr Prince Kofi Kludjeson, President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), on Friday asked members of the Association to challenge Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies for their share of the Poverty Alleviation Fund allocated for entrepreneurs engaged in small and medium scale industries. He said, "It is your entitlement, you must get it, go for it and take it to expand your business - it is for every Ghanaian." Mr Kludjeson who made the call at the Association's Annual General Meeting at Ho, said the Fund was not for any political party that should be given to only party loyalists and called on the members to contact the authorities for their share.

He said it was only when they started assessing those monies to advance their small and medium scale businesses that true poverty could be alleviated in the districts.

Mr Kludjeson expressed disappointment about how some politicians were not showing interest in small and medium scale businesses in the region and challenged them to heed to the President's declaration to create the enabling environment for the private sector.

He announced that, the Association would in November this year, launch and disburse a 50 billion cedis loan it had sourced from rural banks in the country in addition, to the launching of the Volta Development Plan in collaboration with the Friedrich Nauman Foundation. Mr John Akuley, Volta Regional Chairman of the Association, said the Association was trying to make the business atmosphere in the country friendly to businessmen and appealed to small-scale businessmen in the region to register with the Association.

He assured members that applications for loans received were being processed and would be released to them soon.

Mr Akuley therefore, called on them not to give up on their businesses because business thrives with courage.