Gov't Can’t Create Jobs; IMF Freezes Public Employment—Napo

Ghanaians have been urged to treat any promise by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to create public jobs for the teeming youth in the country with contempt, as it lacks the capacity to do so, as a result of International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions.

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh contends that the incompetence and mismanagement of the country's economy by the NDC since 2009, which has resulted in the government having to resort to the international financial community for assistance, has put a freeze on public employment, thus putting the future of the youth of this country in total jeopardy.

Hon. Opoku Prempeh, who was addressing constituents at Afia Kobi Electoral Area as part of “Meet Your MPs” programme, noted that the NDC government has lost the plot to sustain the accelerated economic growth and development it inherited from the Kufuor administration in 2009.

The programme was part of the MP's initiative to interact with his people and to brief them on happenings in the country, including proceedings in Parliament and to also address their questions and concerns. He said his heart bleeds for the youth of this country who are endowed with the requisite skills and training, but cannot find jobs in the public service because of its own government's negligence and incompetence.

According to him, public unemployment has increased tremendously under this administration because the government is under strict instructions from the IMF not to engage people in the public service. He said the IMF conditions have resulted in the near collapse of almost all social intervention and employment policies which were introduced by the NPP to provide jobs for the youth in the country.

“Don't believe the NDC when they go about telling you it has created and will create jobs for the youth; it does not have that capacity because of its own incompetence. There is a freeze on public employment so from now up till they leave office in 2016, they can't employ anyone,” he stressed.

According to the Manhyia South MP, the country should not have gotten to this point in the first place, if the NDC government had been prudent with its economic management and avoided needless extravagance, including the payment of dubious judgment debts and looting of state coffers.

“During President Kufuor's time, even when the NDC had totally destroyed the economy under Rawlings, the NPP was able to restore confidence in the country's economy and the period witnessed job boom and steady economic growth, but this has all been eroded by the NDC,” Dr. Napo noted.

The NPP MP said Ghanaians were living witnesses to the improvement of lives and the international plaudits the country received under former President Kufuor and the NPP.

He noted that Ghana as a country is not poor, but the government of the NDC whose trademark has been corruption, ineptitude and cronyism has impoverished Ghanaians through its incompetence and insensitive policies.

Hon. Opoku Prempeh said apart from failing to improve the lives of the people through inability to create jobs and ensure healthy economic growth, the NDC government has also blatantly refused to lessen the burden on the ordinary Ghanaian, with its decision not to reduce fuel prices to commensurate with the trend on the world market.

He noted that despite the mountainous challenges he and his colleagues in the minority side face, they will continue to fight and protect the interest of the ordinary Ghanaian.

The forum was well attended by Chiefs in the Zongo communities and voters in the constituency. Various questions and concerns ranging from lack of jobs, sanitation and security amongst others were raised at the forum and subsequently addressed by the MP.