Employment and Labour Relations Minister-nominee, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has iterated that the Akufo-Addo led administration created about three million jobs in its first term based on some revelations from his handing over notes justifying the assertion.
The Parliament Appointment’s Committee, however, raised some concerns during the vetting of the nominee on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, questioning the veracity of Mr. Awuah’s handing over note, which he insisted that the “last time we reported was in September 2020 and the figure was around three million jobs”. I have on a number of occasions come to this house and given these figures out already”.
Per the handing over notes, 2.7 million jobs were created with 2.3 million jobs being under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme and 350,000 jobs in the public sector were highlighted.
That notwithstanding, the Employment and Labour Relations Minister designate stated that, the handing over notes were prepared in June in line with the Transitional Provisions Act.
“I cannot come before this committee and lie to the committee. I have indicated my readiness to supply you with the information by close of day.
“If I was given the chance to update handing over notes, this would not be the figure you would have”.
Clarifying further on how the ministry arrived at the figure, Mr. Awuah explained that his outfit collates data from various sectors under the state to record employment figures under the public sector. However, for the private sector, he stated that the employment ministry is dependent primarily on data on pension contributions from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Mr. Awuah further admitted to gaps in this strategy because of the high number of Ghanaians not making pension contributions, an assertion he insisted “is very close to accurate”.
“Every person engaged to work must be entitled to SSNIT payments… at any point in time, if you want such information, you can go to SSNIT”.
“That [SSNIT] is the best we have at the moment. The level of informality in the country is very high. About 80 percent of work takes place within the informal space”.
In November 2020, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia disclosed the Akufo-Addo-led administration had created two million jobs in the formal sector since assuming office in 2017.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party upon assuming the reins of government sought to remedy “the hopelessness and despair that a lack of employment opportunities under the previous administration had plunged our youth into,” a phenomenon he described as a security threat.
Additionally, Dr. Bawumia stated that through government’s industrial transformation interventions like the One District One Factory programme, numbering about 19,000 direct jobs have been created for the youth in the country.
Vice President Bawumia further revealed that to ensure inclusivity in government’s approach to reducing youth unemployment in the country, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) was introduced to help small businesses thrive as well.
According to Dr. Bawumia, it takes bold leadership to face these challenges head-on and deliver thus making an argument for the mandate of President Akufo-Addo to be renewed come December 7.
