Government must fulfil 25,000 public sector recruitment promise – Kpebu

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says he will monitor the government's commitment to recruit about 25,000 additional workers into the public sector in 2027, citing concerns over unemployment in Ghana.

He said the proposed recruitment, which includes teachers, nurses and other public sector workers, was not enough to address the country's unemployment challenges but represented an important step.

The legal practitioner made the remarks on TV3's KeyPoint programme on Saturday, November 14, during a discussion on the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday, November 12.

"We will be tracking the government's promise to employ more people into the public sector next year. The unemployment situation in Ghana must be of concern to all of us," he said.

The government has announced plans to recruit approximately 25,000 workers into the public service from January 2027.

The proposed intake comprises 10,000 nurses, 10,000 teachers and about 5,000 other public sector workers, according to Dr Ato Forson in a separate interview with TV3 after presenting the budget.

Mr Kpebu acknowledged that the proposed recruitment was not as extensive as many would have wished but expressed hope that investments under the government's New Economy programme would generate additional employment opportunities.

He also identified the planned 1,450-megawatt state-owned thermal power plant as one of the major projects that could improve economic activity and reduce the cost of doing business.

The project, expected to begin construction in December 2026, will have its first 600 megawatts available by December 2028, with the remaining 850 megawatts scheduled for completion by December 2030.