'Allow government to work for you' - Deputy Chief of Staff

Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - Mr Jonny Osei Kofi, Deputy Chief of Staff Thursday said the doors of the Flagstaff House is opened to Ghanaians to share ideas, problems and the way forward with whoever they wanted to talk to.

He said: 'The Flagstaff House is opened to everyone, you do not need permission from anyone to come there if you have a problem or want to have a healthy discussion with authorities there, you only have to pass through the laid down procedures to see whoever you want to speak to on issues bothering national development'.

Mr Osei Kofi, who said this at the launch of Life Plan Welfare Scheme and Apprentice Database Project for apprentices and Master artisans, urged the public to allow the government to work for them by engaging government representatives on issues that would turn the fortunes of the country.

The scheme, collaboration between the Informal Sector Development Foundation (IDEF), an NGO and ECO-CAPITAL Investment Management Limited, is to cater for the start-up needs of apprentices and master artisans.

The fund will also take care of their future needs such as death, fire and injuries at workplaces.

Mr Osei Kofi said the informal sector is the mover of every country's economy and urged people in that sector to coordinate and plan their activities well to enhance their businesses.

'… Whatever we do in our small way, if it is well coordinated and planned, could rule this country,' he said, adding that, government appreciates the efforts of the informal sector and commended IDEF for the initiative.

He said the emphasis is now on self-employment and stressed the need to train people who will graduate and create things for themselves to live on.

That, he said, could be achieved through putting ideas together and forming partnerships to grow businesses and build capitals to expand those business.

'If it needs some of you travelling to neighbouring countries to understudy their ways of doing business, you need to go and come back with the knowledge to expand your own.

'In our attempt to develop ourselves, we must realise that whatever each and every one does will go a long way to help the country and the society at large,' he said.

Mr Richard Senyo Sumah, Chief Executive Director of IDEF, said the scheme, which is a self-help initiative policy, would assist apprentices, who hitherto were unable to start-up their own shops/ businesses or graduate from apprenticeship to do so.

He said their research has identified that the challenges facing apprentices in the sector are enormous, hence the idea to support them with the investment package to address some of the challenges.

He pledged their commitment to partner various institutions like the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, Labour and Employment, district assemblies and other insurance companies to provide a sound financial security for the informal sector to meet their needs.

GNA