Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that the Akufo-Addo’s government will, by the end of its second term in office, create jobs and business opportunities for 1 million Ghanaian youth.
Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, who was presenting the Mid-year budget review on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 29, 2021, stated that government is currently creating numerous jobs and business opportunities and will, through the relevant ministries, sensitize and connect the teeming youth of the country to these employment avenues.
This, he said, will be done through the introduction of new programs as well as refocusing and scaling up of existing ones to meet the aspiration of the youth so as to meet the targeted number of employment opportunities.
“I have had extensive discussions with my colleagues Ministers of Employment and Labour Relations, Youth and Sports, and Lands and Natural Resources. New programs will be introduced and existing ones scaled up and refocused to meet the aspiration of our youth. We will work together to sensitize and connect the youth to the numerous opportunities being made available by government, including the strategy to create jobs and business opportunities for 1 million Ghanaian Youth by 2024,” he stated.
Ken Ofori-Atta also indicated government’s decision to stick to the substantive budget approved by Parliament early this year and thus, did not present a supplementary budget for approval.
He, however, reiterated the government’s commitment to deliver on all the policies and programs scheduled to be undertaken in the 2021 fiscal year.
“Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, let me repeat; I am not here today to ask for more money. I have not come to ask for taxes. I have come to update the House on the performance of the economy for the first half of 2021 and our plans for the unexpired term of the year, consistent with Section 28 of the PFM Act,” he emphasized.
