Ghana, ILO organizes training on poverty reduction

Winneba, Oct. 7, GNA - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in collaboration with the government of Ghana, organized a four-day training programme on poverty reduction strategy at Tema. Participants included assembly members, heads of decentralized departments and representatives of various civil societies from the Awutu-Efutu Senya and Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Districts of the Central Region.

The training is principally designed to equip participants with the business promotion skills, to enable them effectively integrate people in the informal economy into the formal sector.

Mr John Evans Arthur, a consultant to the ILO/Ghana Decent Work Pilot Programme, said under the Ghana Decent Work programme, each of the two districts would be required to set up a 15-member committee headed by their respective district chief executives to carry out their functions.

He said the committees were to formulate recommendation for small-scale capacity building activities for the members of the committees and other relevant organisations in the pilot districts and the Central region to be carried out during the last phase of 2003. Mr Arthur also said the groups would also formulate recommendations on studies or research to be undertaken to provide relevant data for the formulation of district action plans for the creation of gainful employment.

The two districts, according to Mr Arthur, had been classified as being among the most economically distressed administrative areas in the Central region.

He appealed to participants to take the training seriously to enable them to serve the people diligently. Mr Abraham Arhin-Larbi Central regional Co-operative Officer was among resource persons, who presented a paper at the training.