The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is demanding that the Youth Enterprise Support (YES) Fund should be brought to Parliament for proper regulation.
This, according to him, will insulate and protect the fund from possible corrupt practices and possible failure.
The youth in Ghana make up about 33% of the country’s over 25 million population and recent data collated by the African Economic Outlook has shown that unemployment within this bracket stands at 25.6%.
The GHC 10 million fund was therefore, set up to support the youth who have entrepreneurial skills to create jobs from their business ideas.
[contextly_sidebar id=”CyDdBayctGG5QhTcOQGMVMHMse1vHfda”]The initiative is also to provide more innovative jobs and opportunities to support unemployed Ghanaian youth across the country.
The YES initiative even before it kicks starts its core mandate has seen its Chief Executive Officer, Adu Asare sacked.
In an interview with Citi News, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu recalled that government had earlier given an indication to the House about setting up the fund for the youth but it is yet to be brought before Parliament.
He said for the fund to operate, government would have to allocate funding to it but the allocation should have the approval of Parliament.
“Parliament definitely would have to approve of proposed allocations and also to regulate the use of the public purse and I think that should be the normalcy,” said the Minority leader.
He added that the approval of money for the YES fund and the regulation of its expenditure should be done by Parliament.
A similar programme, Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) was hit by several corruption scandals and one of its former national coordinators, Abuga Pele and another official Philip Asibit are standing trial.
President John Mahama subsequently announced that a bill on the restructured GYEEDA will be laid before Parliament.
This was expected to ensure proper oversight and efficiency in the management of the agency.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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