The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has brought an end to the contracts of all 218 district coordinators under its Business In The Box (BizBox) initiative, a decision that has left many affected staff confused and frustrated.
The development follows a series of internal memos circulated over the past months.
The first, dated August 27, reminded coordinators that their contracts were subject to annual renewal and that their performance was being assessed.
A second memo, issued on October 27, indicated that their contracts had technically expired on August 31, 2025, and that management was still deliberating on whether to renew them.
However, the situation took a decisive turn on December 3 when a third communication instructed regional offices to ensure that all outgoing coordinators “cease reporting to work with immediate effect.”
The same directive asked regional managers to facilitate the onboarding of newly selected district coordinators.
The Business In A Box (BizBox) Project is a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Ghana
Enterprises Agency (GEA).
The goal of the 4-year project is to create dignified and fulfilling jobs for 250,000 young people in Ghana, with 70% being women and 10% Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) by 2027.
The synergy of this partnership lies within the agency’s mandate as the apex body to promote and develop Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in Ghana and the foundation’s vision for Ghana to enable 3 million young women and men to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
The intervention aligns with the government of Ghana’s goal to address youth unemployment by building an entrepreneurial nation and creating 1 million jobs for Ghanaian youth.
The BizBox Project integrates tools, learnings, and support needed by the youth to start and grow their businesses.
Through training, mentorship, and coaching, qualified participants proceed to receive support with business formalisation, product certification, and more.
Through five main pillars, namely: i) Youth Skills Development, ii) Access to Markets, iii) Access to Startup Kits, iv) Youth Social Networks, and v) Institutional Strengthening, Policy, and Regulatory Support, the Project will create long-term employment opportunities for participants by leveraging existing structures, recognisable business associations, and partners, among other strategies.
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