Covid-19 worsened unemployment situation  -Ofori-Atta

Minister of Finance,  Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has said that Covid-19 pandemic has worsened unemployment situation in the country due to its impacts on jobs.

Delivering the Mid-Year-Budget-Review to parliament on Thursday 29  July 2021 in Accra, Mr. Ofori-Atta said that the youth of our country are of utmost importance, therefore urgent measures need to be taken to deal with the issue.

“Mr. Speaker, the unemployment situation in our country has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a situation which we will confront aggressively. Indeed, it is an issue that will be at the forefront of our national discourse. The future of our young people and their livelihoods are of utmost importance to us as a nation. It requires urgent action and the President has directed that we consolidate and implement new programmes and projects to address it. It is crucial to our destiny”.

In view of this, he assured the august House that measures have been taken in collaboration with Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to connect the youth to opportunities.

“I have had extensive discussions with my
colleague Ministers of Employment & Labour Relations, Youth and Sports and Lands and Natural Resources. New programmes will be introduced and existing ones scaled-up and refocused to meet the aspirations of our youth. We will work together to sensitise and connect the youth to the numerous opportunities being made available by Government, including
the strategy to create job and business opportunities for 1 million
Ghanaian youth by 2024. So far, we have developed five new programmes, including YouBanC® “.

Meanwhile, the youth of Ghana recently raised  concerns of unemployment and hardship in the country with the theme #FixTheCountry which received mixed reactions on Social media. These economic problems amid the killing of an activist Kaaka in the Ejura shootings sent the NDC youth wing led by Opare Addo to the streets to protest against the Akuffo Addo led – government .

Source: africaneditors.com /Agyekum Boateng