General News of Thursday, 29 June 2017

Source: classfmonline.com

Government to employ more PWDs to man toll booths

Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has said the Akufo-Addo-led government will implement the Disability Act, Act 715, to assist Persons with Disability (PWDs).

According to him, the act will ensure that all buildings across the country are made accessible to PwDs.

Also, he said more PwDs, through an initiative introduced by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, will be employed to manage toll booths across the country

Speaking at the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations' career fair on Thursday June 29, Dr Bawumia said: “President Akufo-Addo’s government is committed to tackling the unemployment rate in the country and so various policies are being implemented in agriculture, industry, and infrastructure.

“Government is committed to creating the economic opportunities and ensuring a safe and inclusive society as well as facilitating access to public places by Persons with Disability.

“Aside getting Persons with Disability employed, the Ministry of Roads and Highways is rolling out policies to ensure the recruitment of Persons with Disability. Once this process is completed, Persons with Disability will constitute not less than 50 per cent of the people employed to operate toll booths across the country.

“This intervention is aimed at reducing the unemployment rate among Persons with Disability in order to provide them with a source of livelihood which will in turn deal with the cycle of poverty facing most people with disability.

“While this is an important initiative as far as employment of PwDs is concerned, it is not sufficient. What we need is more mainstream of persons with disability across both the private and public sectors – in the banks or wherever, at all ministries. We need to have a strategy of making sure that persons with disability attain that employment status.”