President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that the government has put structures in place to ensure that the country’s unemployment challenges are addressed.
According to Nana Addo, despite inheriting an economy in dire straits, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has worked assiduously towards ensuring that job opportunities are created for Ghanaians.
[contextly_sidebar id=”FuFBgYGYFiqSBB07J5cfmjdq1XVqmeUn”]”We’ve had important challenges; Invincible and Delta Forces and the tensions at the grassroots of the party over jobs. I appreciate very much the anxiety over jobs. What I’m saying is that, the foundation has been laid for jobs. It has not been easy because we inherited a bankrupt economy, but because of the ingenuity of the people I’m working with, we’ve been able to lay a good foundation,” the President said.
“Let us remain united and confident, we are on the right path and soon it will be obvious to everybody. Our race is not a sprint, it is a cross-country, it is a marathon race and we are going to win at the end, not just at the beginning.”
Speaking on Sunday at the NPP’s extraordinary National Delegates Conference in Kumasi, President Akufo Addo also stated that, despite being in office for under a year, the government had been able to undertake many of the projects it had promised prior to the elections.
He added that plans were far advanced to ensure that these projects are intensified in the new year, and that number of other pledges they made to Ghanaians will commence.
“The year has been full of important achievements which have won the admiration of the nation. We’ve fulfilled our Free Senior High School pledge and our determination to revive the National Health Insurance Scheme and the country’s agriculture; it is clear already that the programme, Planting for Food and Jobs is a success, and it’s going to be an even greater success in 2018,” he said.
National Builders Corps to create jobs
The Nations Builders Corps was announced as a government initiative in the 2018 budget which will result in the creation of about 100,000 jobs to graduates at a cost of GHc 600 million.
The focus of the initiative is to improve public service delivery in health, education, agriculture, sanitation and also drive revenue mobilization and collection.
Despite some opposition to the policy from members of the Minority in Parliament and Policy think tank, Imani Africa, the programme looks well on course to be being implemented with a minimum monthly salary of GH¢600 announced for the graduates who are employed
Free SHS and Planting for Food and Jobs
The President also launched the Free SHS policy and Planting for Food and Jobs programme to facilitate improvements in the country’s educational and agricultural sectors.
Nana Addo stated that the Planting for Food and Jobs programme will among other things encourage the youth to desist from migrating elsewhere in search of non-existent jobs and ensure a transformation the country’s agriculture sector.
And speaking at the launch of the Free SHS policy the President said that the only way government can create wealth for all Ghanaians is to ensure that there are opportunities for them to succeed, which can be created through education.
“A government will not be able to make every citizen rich, but with political will and responsible leadership, a government can help create a society of opportunities and empowerment of every citizen. And I know no better way to do that than to improve access to education
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana