The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) have scaled up efforts to support about 200 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)in the Northern Region to enhance their businesses.

This is as a result of the provision of capacity building to upgrade their management, production and productivity to meet the demand of the global market.

The training was part of the Kaizen forum held in Tamale for MSMEs across the Northern Region. The forum was also to enable the MSMEs to develop innovative ways of doing business to attract investment for their businesses.

The MSMEs were educated on the need to brand their businesses to attract investors and buyers.

The KAIZEN Project is a three-year Project aimed at developing the capacity of NBSSI to provide Business Development Services (BDS), including KAIZEN methodology as one of the BDS to the MSMEs in Ghana to serve as the key for maintaining international competitiveness.

In all, 46 Business Advisory Centre (BAC) Heads in the four target regions – Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Central – were given intensive training in the KAIZEN Methodology.

Kaizen is Japanese for "continuous improvement ". It refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers.

It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain. By improving standardised programmes and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Eric Afram, the Northern Regional Manager of NBSSI, said the enterprises were educated on the need to position their businesses well.

The project has, so far, supported the business activities of about 20 enterprises in the Northern Region.

According to him, the project is to support product packaging at the syrup section of the selected MSMEs and also to educate the workers on the need to know the delivery schedule of raw material and finished products.

This, he said, will enhance the efficiency of the workers and the entrepreneurs to produce at the right time to meet the needs of customers.

He said the implementation of the project has helped the selected enterprises to increase profit as well compete with foreign goods and assured to extend the support to the other parts of the north.

The Tamale Head of the Business Advisory Centre, Mr Bukari Mohammed said: "It is expected that through the National Kaizen Project, a total of one hundred and ninety MSMEs will benefit from the Project in the three regions, and the competitiveness of the MSMEs in the four regions will be enhanced to enable them compete internationally.”

He assured that the capacity of the MSMEs will be enhanced to enable them contribute towards stimulating the growth of the national economy.

He stressed that some MSMEs that continue with the good practices will benefit from a training programme in Japan to boost their operations.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shekinah Glory Bakery, Madam Esinam Baah Ofori, expressed gratitude to JICA and NBSSI for their support, saying the intervention has helped add value to her business.

Other agencies that participated in the forum include the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA), and the Association of Small Scale industries (ASSI), among others.