The Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, over the weekend held a day’s consultative forum on the drafting of the National Labour Intensive Public Works (NLIPW) policy in Koforidua.
The forum, which sought to solicit views so as to enrich the policy, was attended by officials of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC), Feeder Roads Department, National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), Labour Department and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
Others were the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Attorney General’s Department, Non-Governmental Organizations, Department of Social Welfare, Trade Union Congress, Forestry Commission, Presiding Members and other stakeholders in the Greater Accra, Volta and the Eastern Regions.
The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, in his welcoming address, observed that the Government through the “Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) 2010- 2013 policy framework” intended to transform Ghana into a developed nation.
He said one of the main thematic areas of the GSGDA was “Human Development, Productive and Employment”.
Mr Terlabi indicated that, as part of the government’s effort to see to the implementation of the thematic area, the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) developed that framework on labour intensive public works.
He said the policy framework, which is a sequel to the “human development, productivity and employment” area, when implemented would stimulate local economic growth and development.
Mr Terlabi believed that the participants’ assessment of the draft policy and constructive criticisms would collectively contribute to the development of a better policy framework on NLIPW.
“I trust that your practical experiences from field works and the appreciation of the other issues would be brought to bear on this policy framework so as to produce a quality document that would stand the test of time and contribute significantly to the eradication of poverty and the improvement of the quality of lives of all Ghanaians”, he added.
Mr Antwi Bosiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, observed that, 13 per cent of Ghanaians were extremely poor and that the NLIPW when drafted and approved by Cabinet will go a long way to reduce poverty.
He said the policy would help create a lot of job opportunities and the capacities in the communities.
Mr Sekyere urged the participants to openly discuss issues and bring out suggestions which would contribute to the drafting of the policy.**
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