Gov't is Not Best Employer - Adjei Duffuor

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Yaw Adjei Duffuor, has observed that the government is not the best employer on which Ghanaians can rely for employment.

He has urged the unemployed not to look forward to the government to create jobs for them. The deputy minister emphasised that the only way the government could solve the mass unemployment problem in the country was to create a vibrant private sector.

Mr. Duffuor said this at the awareness creation campaign organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) for industrialists in the Brong Ahafo region.

Currently with few members of industrialists, the Brong Ahafo Regional Chapter of the AGI is under that of the Ashanti Region. The awareness campaign aimed at attracting more industrialists to register with the possibilities of inaugurating a full chapter for the Brong Ahafo.

According to the Deputy Minister, the NPP government's promise of creating jobs for the youth was to create a friendly environment for the private sector, so that subsequently the youth would be employed.

He noted that most government establishments were abandoned due to mismanagement for a mere reason that workers of such establishments felt that they were not their personal property. " The end results of those government establishments were to get closed down or to privatise them".

He said it would be difficult for the government to tell the exact number of persons employed this year, but with the private establishment it is easier.

The minister reiterated that the government's medium term priority for the country over the period 2000 to 2004 is to evolve pragmatic policies that would support the growth of the economy and reduce poverty.

Mr. David Darkwa Mensah, chairman for both Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regional chapters of AGI informed members that the AGI offers specialised services in policy advocacy, marketing development, export market promotion network and many others.

He revealed that Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regional chapter was the second largest after Greater Accra, with 200 members.