ACCRA, Ghana, 16th September: President John Dramani Mahama says his administration plans to make about US$2 billion available annually to sectors of the economy with the capacity to create jobs rapidly.
He said the initiative would form part of the government’s transition from economic stabilisation to aggressive job creation.
President Mahama disclosed this when the Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs paid a courtesy call on him at the Presidency.
According to him, government had spent the initial period of its administration implementing measures to stabilise the economy following the economic difficulties it inherited.
“We now want to move from a stabilised macroeconomic environment to creating jobs because that is the most important thing for us,” President Mahama said.
He explained that the government had introduced reforms and reviewed financial management procedures and laws to restore greater discipline in the management of public resources.
The President said the measures had produced positive results, describing the Ghanaian economy as stronger and more solid than it was before.
He said the next priority is to ensure that economic growth translated into employment opportunities, particularly for young people entering the labour market every year.
President Mahama said the Finance Minister would present the 2027 Budget in November, with government having identified nine critical sectors capable of generating jobs as quickly as possible.
Although the detailed allocations would be announced in the budget, he said government expected to invest about US$2 billion every year in those job-creating sectors.
The programme, he added, would be driven largely by the private sector because government’s role was to create the enabling environment rather than directly operate businesses.
President Mahama also highlighted agriculture as one of the areas expected to play a significant role in the programme.
He said the government is expanding agricultural production, with oil palm identified as a priority area.
According to him, Ghana has no reason to continue importing vegetable cooking oil when the country had the land and capacity to produce oil palm domestically.
The President said traditional authorities would be engaged because chiefs are custodians of the land required for the plantations.
He, however, urged chiefs to go beyond releasing land and participate directly in oil palm production so that communities could benefit financially from the programme.
President Mahama also cited poultry production as another area of focus, noting that Ghana spends almost US$500 million annually importing chicken.
He said the poultry programme would support small, medium and large-scale farmers, with beneficiaries expected to sell their birds, reinvest their proceeds and expand their operations.
He further said the completion of the broiler processing plant at Bechem would provide a ready market for poultry farmers in the area.
President Mahama said the Bechem project was progressing steadily and expressed his expectation to return to the region to commission the facility when completed.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
