Jobs Are Cornerstones For Economic Development –Haruna

By Maxwell Ofori
Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Haruna Iddrisu says the government is aware that lack of employment pushes many families into poverty and is working around the clock to address the problem.

In his welcome address at the launch of the National Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) policy in Accra yesterday, Minister Haruna expressed his happiness about the strides the ministry was making in improving opportunities for employment through policy interventions.

The Labour intensive policy sought to provide the framework for the effective coordination of labour-based programmes and projects in the country and to promote the creation of decent jobs. The minister reiterated that, the secret behind any economic and social development of any country was job.

“It is a fact that jobs are the cornerstone of economic and social development of any country. Indeed, development happens through jobs and therefore remain a critical concern for governments, policy makers, the business community, union leaders and representatives, activists, academics and to the people that strive to provide for their families, he added.

The policy, Haruna Iddrisu stated, has been formulated to improve the income-earning opportunities of the economically active poor.

He added that, “these groups of people (economically active poor) are in their productive ages, but do not have any skill, are not in education or any form of training and, therefore, are not able to secure jobs and remain poor.”

At the same programme, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda stressed that, the policy (LIPW) is in line with government’s initiative to ensure that unemployment was minimized or done away with, in the shortest possible time. The policy would also serve as women empowerment programme to build their capacity.

However, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, who is the Chairman for the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), said unemployment and lack of functional infrastructure has been identified by many governments as one of the main reasons for the country’s underdevelopment and increased levels of poverty.

“It is important to state that, this policy complements the country’s medium term priority agenda of investing in people for which employment is crucial.”

The Chairman for the NDPC, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey noted that the quality of education, supported by skills transfer determines productivity, citing that many youth lack the behavioural, professional and socio-emotional skills (soft skills) that are needed to keep them in productive jobs.

He further stated that, the country could sustain the gains made in the fight against poverty, should it expand income earning opportunities.

“We can sustain and improve the gains made so far in the fight against poverty and vulnerability, by expanding income earning opportunities to all.

“In the spirit of social equity and cohesion, government has the responsibility of managing available resources efficiently so that those who avail themselves for work can find decent work. It is for this reason that I applaud the government for formulating such a policy,” he remarked.