The Deputy Minister designate for finance, Abena Osei-Asare, has disclosed that employment avenues are being worked on to help reduce unemployment in the country.
The Minister designate said this on the back of the press conference by the Finance Ministry which was organized to address issues in the economy as a response to the ‘Fix the country’ campaign by the youth.
“We have heard them and one of their concerns had to do with the structural way of the economy;and this is what government has already started working on.”
Hon Osei-Asare
Speaking on steps by the government to create employment,;she stated that the ‘Ghana cares’ program has been introduced to ease shock;and the adverse effect of COVID-19 and also well transform the economy. She said this initiative is focused on modernizing Agriculture and encouraging the youth to go into Agric.
She further averred that measures are being put in place to also encourage the youth with the use of ICT know-how, to also come up with solution to issues.
Touching on how to empower businesses in this regard, she said the ministry will also create an enabling environment to guarantee some form of loan for businesses under the ‘Ghanacares’ program to enable them set up.
“Once they set up, they will also be in the position to employ more people. And this time we are rather encouraging the youth through our entrepreneurial program;to also come up with solutions that we can support and then, they can also engage themselves.”
Hon Osei-Asare
TVET will help reduce unemployment
The Minister- designate stated that investing in the technical and vocational training will also reduce unemployment. She explained that, the people who will come out will have skills and can equip and fend for themselves.
Another step being taken she disclosed, is the skill retraining for people who have lost their jobs and want to be retrained in a different field.
“We are facilitating all these things and we believe that it will also reduce the unemployment problem.”
Hon Osei-Asare
She further suggested that the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector is important. This, she explained, is because the private sector is in the position to employ more people than any government can do.
“Government will continue to engage with the private sector and make sure that we deliver;on the things that they will need to help them be comfortable,;and they will also be able to employ more people.”
Hon Osei-Asare
Honorable Osei-Asare also indicated that yesterday’s engagement is the first of a series of engagements that government is going to initiate to engage citizens. She said this will give information on what government is doing and also address some of the concerns that are in the social media space.
“Yesterday’s engagement by the minister was also to explain how the nation fared from 2017 to 2020;and the plans that we have put in place despite the adverse effect of COVID. What we believe is that if we all come together, we can also help government to pursue.”
Hon Osei-Asare
