2018 Budget Nothing New Only Full Of 'Job For NPP Boys'

Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson says government's plan to hire 100,000 unemployed graduates in 2018 is a job-sharing ploy for party faithful.

He called the program to hire the youths as nothing but "job for the boys" after government branded the graduate unemployment levels a national security issue.

The 2016 election campaign was mainly about jobs. Since the Akufo-Addo government took over in January, there has been several acts of violence and aggression from party youths most of whom are unemployed.

The NPP admits these acts of violence is down to a lack of jobs and has promised to address these frustrations

The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta during the presentation of the 2018 budget explained, government will introduce the Nation Builders Corps (NBC) to help address graduate joblessness.

Under the NBC, there will be modules like “Teach Ghana” which will hire graduates to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology and Mathematics in primary and secondary schools.

Sanitation Inspectors are expected to be hired under another module, “Clean Ghana”, to enforce sanitation laws and inspection of communities.

Trained nurses and other healthcare workers in a “Heal Ghana” program that will provide healthcare delivery to deprived and rural communities across Ghana.

Trained Agricultural extension and other allied workers in a “Feed Ghana” program will provide extensive support to farmers along the agriculture value chains.

The Tertiary graduates in a “Revenue Ghana” program that will mobilize the youth to collect taxes that have been difficult to mobilize and enforce collection for the development of Ghana.

But the NDC MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, Cassiel Ato Forson said he found it unfortunate that government will be trumpeting the provision of temporary jobs to keep party supporters at bay.

He said if the Nation Builders Corps which will be under the Office of the President is decentralised to the district levels then the District Chief Executive (DCE) will be in charge and ensure party members will get the jobs.

"Who is going to be in charge?. Is it not the same party machinery?" he said on Joy FM's Top Story Wednesday.

He said youth need sustainable jobs which will drive economic growth. But provision of 'job for the boys' is not exclusive to the Akufo-Addo led NPP government, the NDC MP admitted that the previous NDC government also did similar.

Ato Forson said he expects further details on the Nation Builders Corps program to understand the full concept.

The former Deputy Finance minister who, days ahead of the 2018 budget presentation said Ghana could be back to the days of famine in 1983, still held on to his claim.

He questioned why government is importing 100,000 tonnes of maize if not to avert possible widespread of hunger.

The former Deputy Finance minister branded the budget as a "bad product deceptively packaged".

Ghanaians are to expect an official reaction from the Minority in Parliament soon because "we are not sleeping tonight. We are going to interrogate tonight by tomorrow we will come out with a statement."

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com