The Micro-Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has presented a cheque
for GH¢1 million to the fire victims of the Darkuman Kokompe Spare
Parts Market in Accra.
A total of 210 spare parts dealers whose wares were destroyed by the fire a month ago are to benefit from the loan.
The loan, which is to be paid within 12 months with a two-month grace period, attracts a total of 24 per cent interest.
The release of the loan followed a directive by the Vice-President, Mr
John Dramani Mahama, to MASLOC to assist the fire victims to get back to
business. That was when he led a government delegation to make a
donation of roofing sheets, pieces of wood, bags of cement and nails to
the victims a month ago.
Fire gutted more than 4,000 shops at the market a month ago, destroying
vehicles, spare parts and other items running into thousands of Ghana
cedis. No life was lost.
Presenting the cheque, the Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Ms Bertha
Ansah-Djan, said the spare parts dealers played a crucial role in terms
of selling vehicle spare parts to many Ghanaians.
Therefore, she said, the extension of the loan was to help the fire
victims to re-start and grow their businesses so they could continue to
serve the people.
Ms Ansah-Djan asked the spare parts dealers to build their stores in
concrete to prevent or mitigate the effect of fire outbreaks.
She stressed the need for them to insure their wares to enable them to
get some assistance to re-start business in the event of any loss of
property.
She urged the expected beneficiaries, who had been constituted into 10-member groups, to try to repay their loans on time.
The Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, said the
presentation of the cheque was a testimony of the Better Ghana Agenda,
which sought to improve the living standards of the people.
He charged the spare dealers to continue to maintain the standards that
had enabled them to secure the loans, since that was the only way that
they could grow their businesses.
Mr Vanderpuije stressed that many Ghanaians depended on them for spare
parts and asked them to be “responsible in their operations”.
The Chairman of the Kokompe Spare Parts Dealers Association, Mr
Kingsley Anane Yeboah, thanked the government for the prompt manner it
facilitated the release of the loans.
He said the loans would assist the fire victims to get back to
business, and gave an assurance that those who would benefit from the
facility would repay the loans promptly.
Source: citifmonline
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