By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Feb. 14, GNA- The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has inaugurated a High-Level Productivity Statistics Technical Working Group in Accra.
The Group under the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme to determine the methodology, and policy relevance that will lead to the optimal use of the productivity data report.
It will create a user and data producer dialogue, ensure the relevance of the statistical work, guide methodology and ensure the use of the productivity report.
Professor Samuel Annim, the Government Statistician, speaking at the inauguration, said currently, the country did not produce officially both labour and multi-factor productivity statistics to inform evidence-based sectoral, industrial, and labour market policies as well as contribute to wage determination.
He said in computing official productivity measures, the GSS had a critical role in the production and harmonisation of statistics on economic output, as well as on the labour and capital inputs of the economy.
He said in February 2023, the ILO commissioned an international Consultant to work with the Service to conduct a statistical appraisal to determine data availability, gaps, and recommendations for the labour and Multi-factor productivity measurement.
Mr David Marcos, a Representative of ILO, said the collaboration between the Organisation and the Service formed part of the implementation of the Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work project funded by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland.
He said the programme was a global multi-country programme initiated by ILO in 2021 with operations in Ghana, Vietnam, and South Africa.
It seeks to promote productivity growth for decent, combining different approaches that strengthen productivity drivers across policy, sector, and enterprise levels.
Mrs Gloria Borterle Noi, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, said ILO’s commitment to promoting decent work and enhancing productivity was commendable.
She said, “Our collective efforts are instrumental in shaping policies and practices that foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth, improved working conditions and enhance the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide.”
“Let us reaffirm our shared commitment to evidence-based policymaking and data-driven decision-making,” she added.
She said productivity statistics played a crucial role in guiding policy formation, labour market interventions and investment strategies, particularly in the context of ongoing global challenges such as technological disruptions and demographic shifts.
Mrs Borterle Noi said, “Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen partnerships and collaboration among governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations, research institutions and other stakeholders.”
She said by working together as a Technical Group, the members could leverage their respective expertise and resources to develop comprehensive and robust productivity measurement frameworks that reflected the complexities of the modern economy and ensure the well-being of all stakeholders.
GNA