President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has presented GHS2 million to 1,000 women entrepreneurs living with a disability, under the Presidential Empowerment for Women Entrepreneurs with Disability.

He made the presentation at a short ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday.

The Empowerment programme set a fund target of some GH¢4 million, over the next two years, to support the women in business.

And the Ministry of Business Development has so far raised GH¢2 million of the amounts.

The 1,000 beneficiaries would not be required to pay any interest on the amounts they received.

President Akufo-Addo stated that the Presidential Empowerment Programme was not only a fulfilment of the New Patriotic Party’s Manifesto pledge to support women entrepreneurs and help improve the livelihoods of the disabled, but also to help realise goals numbers 5, 8, and 10 of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

He indicated that the beneficiaries would only pay back 50 per cent of the principal advanced to them, saying, “This gesture is part of my government’s support to our disabled women entrepreneurs, to help them scale up their businesses, and employ more people.”

“We anticipate that, with the monies being given to them today, they will and should be able to employ, at least, two persons,” he said.

The President was confident that through the initiative, the conditions of Ghanaian disabled women entrepreneurs could be improved significantly to enable them to take advantage of the growing business-friendly environment in the country, and also take advantage of the numerous opportunities available under the several flagship programmes of Government.

He noted that over the last decade in Ghana, newly created businesses were run and owned by women, as opposed to being owned or managed by men, and that was why his administration was focusing a great deal of its attention on improving on the quality of women entrepreneurship in the country, to help achieve the goals of sustainable, inclusive growth, enhanced livelihoods, and the creation of jobs.

President Akufo-Addo told the leadership of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations his Government was on the side of Persons with Disabilities.

“Amongst others, we have increased the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to Persons with Disabilities from two per cent to three per cent and we have also ensured the implementation of our pledge of employing 50 per cent of the persons who manage the country’s toll booths from amongst Persons with Disabilities,” the President said.

The President gave the assurance that his Government would continue to implement policies and programmes aimed at building a fair and inclusive society, which created equal opportunities for all.

“My confidence in the sheer energy and can-do spirit of the Ghanaian makes me believe that, in you, our women entrepreneurs, the future of the Ghanaian private sector is extremely promising,” he added.