Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has indicated in Parliament that the government has released GHC30 million to tackle initial cost in the ongoing Nation Builders Corps programme in Ghana.

He said the GHC 30 million used so far for the initial cost of the programme, is out of the GH 600 million been provided by the government for the implementation of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO).

The Minister said this when he presented the 2018 Mid-Year Budget to Parliament in Accra.

He said programme had received 146,968 applications for job placement opportunities across the public and private sectors and interviews are currently being conducted module by module for 135,000 applicants across the country.

Mr Ofori-Atta said for the next half of the year, the programme would hold orientations and begin placement for all successful applicants in August this year as well as hold a placement conference with all module implementation partners.

He said all NABCO trainees would undergo module specific training, once placed within their modules for the first four weeks and would be paid their first allowance of GH¢700.00 by the close of August 2018.

He further indicated that all module implementation partners have been engaged and have put in place structures for placement and monitoring of all 100,000 NABCO trainees to be engaged.

Mr Ofori-Atta said a six-week military training component for all trainees, would take place this year and regional passing-out ceremonies will be held to outdoor successful trainees.

He assured Ghanaians that the government was committed to transforming the Ghanaian economy, through industrialisation with a deliberate focus on value addition to the country's vast mineral wealth to create jobs and wealth for the people.