Productive, Gainful Employment sub-committee inaugurated at Twifo-Praso

Twifo Praso (C/R), June 23, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, on Friday inaugurated a 19-member sub committee on Productive and Gainful Employment (SPGE) Programme for the Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira District Assembly with a call on members to ensure the success of the programme. The programme, which is under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Ghana Decent Work Country Programme (GDWCP) is chaired by Mr Joe Armah-Menu and aims at creating employment and making a meaningful contribution towards individual growth as part of a national drive for human resource development.

Nana Arthur reminded the members of the huge responsibility to ensure that the programme succeeded and impacted positively on the lives of people. He said the District was privileged to be chosen for the second phase of the project and reiterated the seriousness government attached to the project as a poverty reduction tool. He reminded the members that the project had already been implemented in some districts in the Region and that their performance would easily be compared to the success story of the first phase, adding "I have no doubt in my mind that the members of the sub committees will live up to expectation".

Nana Arthur told donor partners that the Central Region and the District was now a fertile destination for investment and invited them to extend their poverty reduction intervention programmes to the Region. Mr Samuel Agyeibie-Kessie, District Chief Executive, in a welcoming address expressed gratitude to ILO for mooting the Decent Work concept and nurturing it across the entire globe and above all choosing Ghana as one of the beneficiary countries. He said the small-scale enterprises sector was usually associated with issues related to poor quality standards, limited professional trade and management practices and the lack of access to capital. Mr Agyeibie-Kessie said the government intended to make the private sector attractive to the youth by providing the sector with the needed leadership direction and focus that it so much required and called on the youth and business communities in the District to take advantage of the programmes to revamp and expand their businesses.

Mr Amoasi Andoh, National Coordinator of the Decent Works Programme said the objective of the programme was to create employment and wealth to reduce poverty in the rural areas. Togbe Adom Dayi II, head of the Organization Department of The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said Decent Work was one of the surest means of getting the poor out of poverty and reaffirmed the Union's commitment and support to the project. 23 June 07