Government has rejected media reports about a net freeze on government jobs in 2017.

The Finder Newspaper yesterday, October 24, 2016 published a story about government freezing employment in 2017.

The newspaper made it clear that the net freeze on recruitment was contained in “a Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, and Technical Memorandum of Understanding Ghana sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September 2016 requesting the IMF Executive Board to complete the third review of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement and approve the disbursement of the fourth tranche of the loan based on the satisfactory implementation of performance criteria (PC)”.

According to the report, “The move, according to government forms part of measures to reinforce its strict expenditure control to ensure that the wage bill remains within the approved budget limits”.

However, a statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has disputed the report claiming it was false and “blatantly wrong”.

According to Dr. Omane Boamah government is committed to generating more jobs between 2017 and 2021 through President Mahama's Economic Transformation and Livelihood Empowerment Programme (ETLEP).

See full statement below

The Finder Newspaper is blatantly wrong! Government seeks to generate more jobs between 2017 and 2021 through President Mahama's Economic Transformation and Livelihood Empowerment Programme (ETLEP). ETLEP will create more jobs and enhance incomes.

Over the past few years notwithstanding challenges on the global commodity market front and some perennial internal challenges Ghana has demonstrated significant resilience and has worked to generate a number of jobs for the citizenry:

* Nurses Recruited - 23, 411 since 2013 (2014- 6,786; 2015- 8,210 & 2016- 8,415);

* Teachers Recruited - over 78,000 (since 2009);

* Engineers, Artisans among others recruited in the construction sector since 2013 - 400,000;

* Ghana Free Zones Board since 2013 - over 20,000 and

* The mainstream Civil Service itself has also employed several people aside the Health and the Education Sectors even though the policy of net freeze has been in force.

These clearly shows that the Finder Newspaper got their interpretation of net freeze blatantly and palpably wrong! Perhaps knowing that " net freeze" and even "freeze" as contemplated by the erstwhile NPP administration per the attached letter signed on 10th July, 2008 by the late Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, former Minister for Finance and Economic Planning will further elucidate the true meaning.

Having achieved reasonable macroeconomic stability, and a stable power sector now, more jobs are expected in the coming years through initiatives such as President Mahama's green revolution, the integrated aluminum industry, expansion of the Tema and Takoradi ports, development of the Atuabo Free Port Project, IT Enabled Services such as the completed ultramodern Business Process Outsourcing Centre near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, investments in the cashew, shea nut, rubber and oil palm industries including continuous revamping of the cocoa sector.

Government wishes to assure that a lot has been achieved but most importantly greater feats beckons to ensure the realization of the aspirations of job seekers including those who wish to change jobs because a solid foundation has been laid, fruits have been realized and better times await us.

(Signed)

Edward K. Omane Boamah (Dr)
Minister for Communications

Issued in Accra on Monday 24th October, 2016