Accra, April 28, GNA – Kandifo Institute, an Accra-based Think Tank, has called on government to employ more youth in the public sector to reduce the unemployment situation in the country.
The Institute said the need to create employment for the youth was pertinent to the national security of the country, with increasing reports of armed robbery, cyber-crime and many deviant behaviors amongst the youth, ‘which goes to reiterate the adage the devil finds work for idle hands.”
In a news brief issued to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, it said Ghana’s population had a youthful structure with approximately 57 per cent being under the age of 25.
It said that number was expected to double by the year 2030 according to the Ghana Statistical Service and said it was important government created opportunities for young people to work in the public sector or created the enabling environment for them to create jobs for themselves.
The Institute said although government had done some work in providing flexible sources for startup businesses, its efforts were woefully inadequate to meet the teeming number of youth who needed such support.
“It would be more effective if the government made loans easy to acquire for the youth under a well-planned youth entrepreneurship scheme in all the 16 regions of the country.
This would enable young people who have such talents and business ideas to startup businesses, which in the long-run will help in the creation of more job opportunities. This will make Ghana an attractive investment destination for young people around the world especially those in the diaspora who want to start-up businesses,” it said.
The release said government must provide entrepreneurs with well-structured spaces to run their businesses at subsidised costs, as the high cost of doing business like cooperated taxes and cost of rent had increased over the years and led to the crippling of young businesses and making most of them not profitable.
“This will be a great way to support young businesses. Also providing lower interest rates, making friendly trade policies for entrepreneurs, retaining of National Service Personnel in organisations are key.
“The agenda to industrialise the country must be given a shot in the arm because the manufacturing sector also employs a lot of people.”
It suggested that industrial parks and enclaves should be made available in all 16 regions of the country and tax breaks be given to organisations who employed young people.
“In the case, where 10 percent of their yearly recruitment can be allocated to the youth, it can earn them some generous tax break from the GRA. If this is done intentionally the cases of rural urban migration would be mitigated and reduced to the barest minimum.”
It said more industries should also be set up in the country to make good use of the labour available locally.
“They can run 24-hour work schedules, pay workers based on their hours, this would thereby require more hands on board. Furthermore, running a shift system can also be a strategy. Some of the government sector agencies could employ the youth through a shift system. Improving the quality and quantity of employment opportunities directly link to economic growth to poverty reduction.”
Unemployment among the youth could have a negative impact on the agriculture and educational sectors, family system in the society, religion, and the media, and could also lead to low self – esteem, less economic growth, waste of resources, and other mental health issues, among others, the Institute said.
“Some policy directives that the government could consider include; providing enough support funds for the COVET/ TVET, support youth entrepreneurship, invest more in the agricultural sector and in career guidance and counseling, work-based learning, coaching and mentoring to equip young people, as well as maximise their impact by scaling-up these priority areas in the existing youth employment plan and improve outreach to the youth.”
The release also asked the youth to be more innovative, gather skills that created opportunities for self-employment, offer free services where possible to support each other to gain knowledge and experience in preparation for permanent work, create opportunities in fields that were rapidly evolving as a result of technological innovation, and improve on information marketing.
“The development of our country hinges on the quality and quantity of our human capital in all the sectors of the economy. Also patient capital should be made available for youth who want to start up businesses,” the Institute said.
GNA