MPs call for more budgetary allocation to the Ministry

Accra, Dec 07, GNA - The Select Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises on Wednesday said despite the high expectations placed on the Ministry of Manpower Development, Youth and Employment under the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Two programme, not much has been committed to the creation of the right environment for labour and employment.

The committee cited the National Youth Council, which had to rely on its own investment funds to feed its students and said more disturbing was the issue of low service budgetary allocation.

Mr Paul Okoh, Chairman of the Committee, said these in Parliament after Mr Kofi Adda, Minister of Manpower Development, Youth and Employment, had moved a motion for the approval of 100,882 billion cedis for the Ministry as its budgetary allocation for 2006.

Mr Okoh urged the Finance Ministry to source funds from the GETFUND to assist in running institutions under the ministry because they are all educational in nature.

He said the Committee has recommended the suspension of employment freeze for some time to enable the ministry recruit staff to solve the acute shortage of skilled personnel.

Mr Okoh said for next year, the ministry would be involved in promoting the establishment of private employment agencies with the view to consolidating efforts at job creation and human resource development. He said the Ministry would also implement the national youth employment programme within the year and develop a database on social welfare activities to assist in measuring the performance of the sector.

Miss Theresa Tagoe, NPP-Ablekuma-South, later, expressed dissatisfaction with the low budgetary allocation to the ministry saying since the ministry was taking care of human resource development including the vulnerable in society, it needed to be resourced properly.