President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has delivered a special message to the youth of Ghana with a pledge that big opportunities are coming and the need for them to be part of it.
According to him, the government values the input of young Ghanaians and is determined to see them having the opportunity to shape their future as the administration rolls out programmes to support them.
The first of its kind in any budget statement ever read to Parliament, the message disclosed that the government has announced a key job creation and entrepreneurship intervention dubbed YouBanC product and a host of other interventions that target young people.
This was contained in the mid-year budget review statement that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, delivered to Parliament on Thursday.
The President admitted that the last couple of years have not been easy for young people with education disrupted and many business plans put on hold because of limited funding opportunities.
He said, “You may have lost your job or are simply tired of joining long queues of filling job application forms for vacancies that are filled even before your ink is dry.”
“Now, more than ever, we need to create a large pool of employment opportunities for the growing number of young Ghanaians, who now have increased access to education.”
“At the heart of the policies outlined in today’s statement is the rolling out of various programmes to build an economy that allows you to unleash the wealth and breadth of your energies,” he stated.
According to the President, at the heart of the policies outlined in the mid-year budget statement is the rolling out of various programmes to build an economy that allows young people to unleash the wealth and breadth of their energies.
“Your President believes in the power of constructive collective action. Together we can ensure that yesterday’s problems are tackled today so that we do not carry them on to the next generation.”
“We must confront the spirit of doubt and face our fears in faith,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Ofori Atta disclosed that the Enterprise and Youth Support Fund, which aligns with government’s overall strategy of developing a competitive and viable private sector economy, set up the Youth banc to finance youth-led start-up businesses across the country.
According to him, as part of the initiative, an online investment hub will be establishing businesses with an estimated over 100,000 jobs to be created.
The government, he said, is also pursuing the Obaatanpa Youth Entrepreneurship Drive, Ghana Skills and Enterprise Development Project, Student Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Youth in Community
Improvement Module, and the Alternative Employment and Livelihood programmes as direct interventions in targeted sectors to help the youth live decent lives and contribute to nation-building.
“These interventions are clearly designed to bring us closer to confronting the jobs and employment challenges of our Youth.”
“To ensure dedicated resources, the Ministry of Finance and all participating institutions will, next month, sign an implementation Compact on youth employment which will tie the release of resources to
delivery of results.”
“This Compact will also track youth-focused initiatives across the value chain of interventions under the GhanaCARES programme,” he added.
He assured that the government’s policies are not about the next election even as the administration persevere to break the proverbial eight.
However, more importantly, he said, is about empowering the present generation for them to also prepare a brighter Ghana for the next generation.
He stressed that the government’s responsibility is not just about responding to the judgement of critics today but to the judgement of prosperity.
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