Accra, March 30, GNA - Government has increased the
NYEP share of the talk time tax from 20 to 60 percent as part
of its efforts to establish a firm source of funding for the
operations of youth employment programmes in the country. The increase, which takes effect from April 1, would give
the NYEP a regular monthly amount of about GHc 4.5 million,
Mr Abuga Pele, National Coordinator of the NYEP told the
boost to the youth programmes of the NYEP, an indication
that the government had lived up to its promise to revamp and
make the programme sustainable. He said though the money accrued from the tax might not
be adequate for the entire operations of NYEP programmes in
the country, it was a good beginning and that other sources of
funding would still be explored to support the programme. He said the delays in payment of allowances to beneficiaries
would now be improved saying, 93Government must be highly
commended for such a bold step to support funding of youth
programmes". "This is an example worth emulating in the sub- region to
avert social instability, which is partly caused by lack of
employment", he said and appealed to other funding agency to
release funds regularly to support the programme. Mr Pele appealed to other funding agencies to release their
budgetary allocation to the NYEP to enhance operation and
alleviate the plight of beneficiaries who are contributing their
quota to nation building. It would be recalled that the presidency directed the
Ministry of Roads and Highway, the GETFund and the
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to release their
10% budgetary allocations to the NYEP 93Without any further
delay", to help remove bottlenecks in NYEP operations and
place it on a sound footing to support the government's
"Better Ghana Agenda". Currently the NYEP has engaged some 100,000 youths
under its various modules. The World Bank under its youth
enterprise project is supporting with $65 million to help train
the youth in entrepreneurial skills to enable them set up their
own businesses.
