Title_  Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises in Local Level Planning and Local Government Decision Making: A Study in Berekum Municipal, Ghana 

Author_ Jonas Ayaribilla Akudugu 

Pages 153-167

Abstract_ The role of micro and small enterprises in local economic development and employment generation at the district level cannot be overemphasized. Micro and small enterprises per- form production and service delivery functions for local economic development. In the West, where local economic development has a long-established history, local business people are key stakeholders in local economic development. Together with local government and other relevant actors, local economic development initiatives are being jointly designed and implemented to stimulate the local economy. This study sought to assess efforts by the Berekum Municipal government in Ghana to involve micro and small enterprises in local level planning and development decision making processes. It finds that the structuring of local level planning and development decision making does not create space for genuine participation of micro and small enterprises. Thus, micro and small enterprises ultimately become mere beneficiaries or victims of local government development plans and actions rather than ac- tors in development decision making. Until efforts are made to recognize micro and small enterprises as key stakeholders in local level planning and to create space to facilitate their genuine participation, local economic development will be hard to realize.

Keywords_ Micro and small enterprises, Involvement, Local economic development, Planning, District Assemblies, Decision making