The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has called on Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME’s) to work closely with the Agency to build an inclusive and sustainable economy.

Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Executive Director of the GEA, said the Agency would work to support MSME’s build their capacity and give them the resources they need to operate their businesses.

Mrs Yankey-Ayeh was speaking at the Pension and Retirement Planning for MSME’s Masterclass to mark the MSME’s Day in Accra.

The United Nations observes MSME Day on June 27, every year since 2017 to recognize the contribution of industries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The General Assembly declared June 27 as MMDA’s to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development and the global economy.

The Day was on the theme: “MSME 2021: Key to an inclusive and sustainable recovery.”

She said it was important to give the sector a message of hope and let them know that the goal of the Agency was to ensure the success and growth of the sector.

She said the Agency was able to support the sector in the post-Covid era to build a sustainable and inclusive business, which would ensure that they remain strong enough to support the economy.

Mrs Yankey-Aryeh said on the MSME’s policy, it was important because it was the roadmap to guide its implementation.

She said the sector never had any such policy to guide its activities.

In the area of pensions, the Executive Director said over the period the issue of pension was missing in the activities of MSME’s and it was important much attention was paid to them in that regard.

“We meet and talk about how to support the MSME’s sector but one thing is always missing, which is pensions for the people that work in the sector, ” she said.

She said it was very important that they partnered with Axis Pension Trust to see how best they could start planning for that unknown future.

Paa Kofi Ankomah, General Manager Axis Pensions Trust, said for the country to have a sustainable MSME’s system, there was the need to have a plan to sustain the sector.

He said there was the need to support and help individuals in the MSME’s sector to plan their pensions and retirement.

The General Manager said there was still a lot of room to bring on board the MSME’s to prepare for the unknown future.

He said it was very important for businesses to reinvest in their business but it was equally important to save and prepare for the future or have a retirement package.