22.6 million Ghana cedis earmarked towards job creation

Kumasi, Aug. 13, GNA- The government has earmarked 22.6 million Ghana cedis to support job creation under the Micro-Finance and Small Loans Scheme (MASLOC) this year. This would benefit a total of 39,000 people. President John Agyekum Kufuor made the announcement at the 8th Quadrennial Delegates Congress of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Kumasi on Wednesday.

The Congress is being held under the theme; "Social Protection for All, A Pre-requisite for Consolidating Democratic Governance: The Role of the TUC ".

The high point of the four-day congress being attended by over 800 delegates from all over the country would be the election of a new General-Secretary of the TUC.

President Kufuor said so far 133,000 individuals have benefited under the MASLOC, with a total disbursement standing at 37 million Ghana cedis, at the same time 42,000 beneficiary groups had also received support to the tune of 6.7 million Ghana cedis through pro-poor scheme managed by Ministries, departments and agencies. He said these facilities were helping to sustain, revive or create businesses adding that their rippling effects were making phenomenal impact in many families.

President Kufuor responding to concerns by the acting TUC's Secretary-General to the Ghana Telecom Vodafone sale deal said the government was doing the right thing in the best interest of Ghana. He was confident that when the dust was settled all would sooner than latter come to vindicate the position the government had taken. Mr Kofi Asamoah, Acting General-Secretary of the TUC, in his address noted that even though the Fair Wages Commission has been established by Legislation and the Board constituted, its actual operations were still to see the day of light. He therefore called for speedy steps to be taken to make it a reality.

He appealed to the government to put in place adequate measures to help improve the living conditions of workers and the entire populace as a whole to enable them to contribute meaningful towards the socio-economic development of the country. 13 Aug. 08