Churches must support government in area of job creation - Alan Kyerematen

Alan Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry has urged the Church to focus on advancing entrepreneurship initiatives to create jobs to the teeming youth in the country.

That, he said was critical in complementing Government’s efforts to creating job opportunities for the citizenry for sustained socio-economic growth.

The Minister said this on Thursday in Accra at the 3rd national public lecture on the topic: "Harnessing Job Prospects and Opportunities in the Trade Industry Sector."

 He said even though the Church's cardinal role was to win souls, it was imperative for the Church to also take measures through advocacy to find solutions to the country’s unemployment situation.

Touching on interventions to create jobs, Alan Kyerematen said the Government had created the enabling policy environment for the private sector to create jobs and incomes.

He stressed that, the one district one factory initiative had decentralised the establishment of industries across the country and created job opportunities for the youth.

Mr Kyerematen stated that over 300 factories had been sited in the country under the initiative, stressing that 150 of the companies were operational, while others under construction.

Government, he said, had identified new strategic centres for the diversification of its natural resources to create job opportunities, since the State could not continue to export resources in their raw state.

The Minister said the Government had started the assembling and manufacturing of vehicle components and was focusing on integrated aluminium and bauxite to provide components for the country’s vehicle and assembling plant.

"We are focusing on garment and the texture industry to leverage their skills to be competitive in the global market. Bangladesh earn 30 billion dollars from the industry," he stated.

He said the Government had deepened engagement with the United Kingdom in the manufacturing of medicines and pharmaceutical products to reduce the import bill of the country.

Alan Kyeremnten urged the public, especially the youth to take advantage of Government’s job opportunities to reduce unemployment and make them productive in life.

Mr Nelson Amo, the Chief Executive Officer, Innohub Limited, stated that the country’s unemployment rate posed security threat and called for urgent attention.

Mr Amo said the country must have a coordinated programme to train the youth in vocational and technical skills to export them abroad because of the demand for technical know-how.

Right Reverend Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, urged the Government to speed up the provision of jobs for the populace.

Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, the President, Presbyterian University, Ghana, said the University had introduced an entrepreneurial programme christened "Project and Product" where students were expected to have projects in mind whiles in school and leave with products at the end of the programme.

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