GEA moves to reset MSME support with new 2026–2030 strategic plan

The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) is embarking on a new five-year strategic plan that aims to realign its support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to foster sustainable growth and economic transformation. This initiative, which is part of its preparations for the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, involves consultations with various stakeholders, including public and private sector representatives, development partners, business associations, financial institutions, academia, and other key players.

The consultations have been focused on enhancing enterprise competitiveness, improving access to finance, facilitating digital transformation, expanding market access, developing skills, fostering innovation, promoting sustainability, strengthening institutions, and encouraging inclusive entrepreneurship. GEA's Chief Executive Officer, Margaret Ansei, emphasized that partnerships should be viewed as an economic proposition, where each stakeholder's unique strengths can effectively address the challenges faced by businesses.

Ansei stated that GEA intends to measure the success of its next strategic cycle by the sustainability of the businesses it supports, rather than merely the quantity of programs it runs. She expressed a strong ambition for GEA to be judged by the durability of the enterprises it supports, a more rigorous and equitable criterion.

The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan is designed to bolster GEA's institutional capacity, refine its strategic focus, and enhance coordination with development partners and other institutions. It also aims to ensure that GEA's programs translate into more sustainable outcomes for Ghanaian businesses. Professor Nathaniel Boso, the Board Chairman of GEA, stressed the importance of stakeholders coordinating their efforts instead of working independently.

He stressed that alignment must mean working from a shared understanding of the gaps in Ghana's enterprise ecosystem and coordinating interventions to tackle these issues.

GEA's stakeholder engagement is aimed at ensuring that its priorities reflect the needs of businesses and institutions within the broader enterprise ecosystem. The Agency plans to use the insights gained from these consultations to shape its programs, partnerships, and institutional priorities through 2030.