Government spends 14 billion cedis on STEP

Wamfie (B/A) March 22, GNA- Government has so far spent 14 billion cedis on the Skills Training and Employment Placement (STEP), which has so far benefited 27,000 unemployed youth.

Mr Addai Kyeremeh, Chief Director of the Ministry of Manpower and Development, announced this at a graduation ceremony of some the beneficiaries of STEP at Wamfie in the Dormaa District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

The Ministry and the Wamfie Rural bank provided 281 million cedis credit facility to the 117 graduates. Mr Kyeremeh said the Ministry had begun a scheme to re-train selected tie and dye manufacturers in a bid to make the Ghanaian product internationally acceptable.

Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said STEP was part of the efforts of the Government to boost human resource development.

He called on Ghanaians to honour their tax obligations and cooperate with the tax collecting agencies.

The Deputy Minister advised the graduates to adopt the habit of saving with the banks and must endeavour to pay back the loans granted to them to enable others to benefit from the scheme. Nana Baffour Firipiti Sampong Siaw, who was the chairman of the function, charged the graduates to be time conscious, accountable and innovative and to stay away from acts that could expose them to HIV/AIDS.