Stop Creating Job Seeking Environment — ILAPI

Every government is struggling to create jobs. It is the vision of the State to create jobs for its citizens. Conventionally, many think when government invests in people, unemployment rate decrease. However, the government is refusing to stand firm and admit to be a catalyst to job creation and not the creator. Anytime government tries to create jobs, it ends up destroying as many jobs it can.

Government’s direct interventions in the entrepreneurial sector cause unemployment. High taxes cause unemployment. High occupational licensing fees cause unemployment. High tariffs on power cause unemployment. High public employment put pressure on the public purse leading to big government.

The Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS 6) of the Ghana Statistical (GSS) revealed that the unemployment rate in 2013 is 5.2% of the working population. In 2017, the Ghana Statistical Service also said the unemployment in 2015 is 11.9%. Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, posited that, the rate of unemployment in the country has reduced from 11.9 per cent in 2015 to 7.1 per cent in 2019. We must not joke with employment figures because it is a good tool for policy formulation.

The Magical Numbers of Job Creation

NABCO – 100, 000

Public Sector – 350,000

Planting for food and jobs – 745,000

Forestry Commission – 15,000

National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP) – 20, 000

Marine Drive Project – 15,000 (hopeful)

Job Center at Youth Employment Agency

The Job Centre is a platform (online and physical) that will connect job seekers to employers of all fields within the public and private sectors across the country is already done by renowned online portals such us, https://jobwebghana.com/ , https://www.jobberman.com.gh/jobs , https://tonaton.com/ , https://xycareers.com/ghana/ and many others. The center is more a job seeking platform than to create one. The Center itself admits there are limited jobs to be chased by many job seekers. "The Training Hub provides the youth with the requisite skills to prepare them to compete for the LIMITED JOBS that are made available.” There is nothing new under this new Job Center program but a change of name same modules. If there are fewer jobs, help create them instead.

Successful nations tend to have smaller governments as proof and more jobs in the private sector. It would be proper to help private sector to create jobs but making the Doing Business environment a job creation friendly. Once Banks are collapsing and taxes are rising like bread yeast, jobs would be cut and more would be unemployed. It is imperative to stop creating job seeking environment and create job creation one. Create conditions that stimulate economic growth and job creation.

Signed

Peter Bismark

0244169361

Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI)

Tema.

Cc: ALL MEDIA HOUSES