Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 31 Oct.,

The national secretariat of the Head of State award scheme has set up a youth business trust to give loans to young enterpreneurs to start their own businesses. The loans would be offered to young people who have acquired skills under the head of state award scheme which is being operated in some second-cycle institutions. The national co-ordinator of the scheme, Mr. Lawrence Adofoli, announced this at a ceremony to present awards to 65 students from the Sunyani Polytechnic and the Sunyani Twene Amanfo Secondary/Technical (TASTECH) school at Sunyani yesterday. Fifty of the award winners received bronze medals and certificates while the rest had silver medals and certificates. Mr. Adofoli said currently 20 young entrepreneurs are being considered for a five million-cedi loan each with a 15 per cent annual interest to enable them to begin their enterprises. He said the scheme has drawn up a mechanism to monitor the performance of the beneficiaries and guide them to be successful in their ventures. In his keynote address, the deputy Brong Ahafo regional minister, Mr. George Owusu, called for the proper upbringing of the youth to enable them to be self-sufficient. He said the country would not advance if the youth who would take the leadership mantle in future are not given the necessary training to be equal to the task ahead.