- Board of Executive Directors at the World Bank has approved $315 million from the International Development Association (IDA)
- The financing will support job creation, skills development, and digital transformation in Ghana.
- $200 million will be disbursed to the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project and additional financing of $115 million for the e-Transform Ghana Project.
- Annual commitments have averaged about $21 billion over the last three years, with about 61 percent going to Africa.
Project relevant to the current COVID19 context
“The two projects are aligned with the priorities of the Government’s Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development and are even more relevant and timely in the current COVID-19 context. Restoring jobs and livelihoods for micro, small and medium enterprises is critical for promoting the economic recovery of the country and is at the heart Ghana’s COVID-19 response.”
Pierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director for Ghana.
What the project aims to accomplish
- Secure employment opportunities and strengthen linkages to trade associations
The Jobs and Skills project will provide apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training to develop skills and assist apprentices with self-employment activities
The project will also provide training, grants, entrepreneurship activities to micro and small enterprises and help establish a functioning Ghana Labor Market Information System, a public database which aims to capture information on employers and workers and provide regular data and information on the job landscape in Ghana.
- Upgrade district Public Employment Centers
“In addition to supporting enterprises, the project will also upgrade district Public Employment Centers which have been mostly neglected, and also establish 16 additional centers across the country. Through these centers, it will provide information services to employers and job seekers for matching entrepreneurs and enterprises for enterprise development and job creation”.
Iffath Anwar Sharif, World Bank Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice
- (ETransform Ghana Project) to improve the efficiency and coverage of government service delivery.
Activities to be scaled up to include digitization of archives and other public records; an increase in internet bandwidth for district health centers and hospitals and other government services in 254 districts.
The project will also provide computer labs and networking for enhanced remote learning in two new universities and in 200 senior high schools located in areas that do not currently have these facilities.
- The project will facilitate remote working in the judicial office
Automation of the Judiciary and the development of an integrated information management system for the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice will reduce the need for face-to-face meetings and facilitate remote working. The scale-up of eProcurement to all government ministries, departments, and agencies will ensure business continuity and reduce the requirement for physical travel.
- The project will help underpin a comprehensive COVID-19 digital response:
By increasing broadband provision in underserved parts of the country and preventing service disruptions,” said Michel Rogy, World Bank Practice Manager, Digital Development for Africa and the Middle East.
The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, aims to boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives in poor countries through grants and zero-interest loans.
IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 76 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa.
Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.6 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $21 billion over the last three years, with about 61 percent going to Africa.
