By Michael Foli Jackidy, GNA
Ho (V/R), June 29, GNA – Development partners have underscored the importance of stronger social dialogue, productivity enhancement and decent work as essential pillars for Ghana’s industrial transformation and sustainable economic growth.
Speaking at the 2026 National Labour Conference in Ho, Ms Magdalena Wüst, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana, said sustainable national development required collective commitment from government, employers, workers and development partners.
She said the conference reflected the spirit of partnership needed to address labour market challenges, describing sustainable development as “not a solo race but a relay in which government, employers, workers and partners each have a crucial baton to carry.”
Ms Wüst said the conference theme, “Strengthening Industrial Harmony as a Catalyst for Accelerated Economic Growth and National Development,” was timely, noting that countries across the world were increasingly recognising that sustainable economic growth depended not only on investment and productivity but also on strong institutions, effective social dialogue and the creation of quality jobs that offered dignity, opportunity and security.
She said Switzerland, through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), had maintained a longstanding partnership with Ghana to promote inclusive economic development, with one of its flagship initiatives being the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work (PE4DW) Programme.
According to her, the programme seeks to strengthen relations between productivity growth, enterprise competitiveness and improved working conditions, based on the principle that productivity and decent work reinforce each other.
“Enterprises that are more productive can expand, invest and create more jobs, while workers who enjoy safe workplaces, opportunities for skills development and fair working conditions become more productive and resilient,” she said.
Ms Wüst stressed that productivity should not be interpreted as requiring employees to work harder, but rather to work smarter through innovation, improved skills, technology and better workplace practices.
“As we often say, productivity is not about working harder until we are exhausted; it is about working smarter so that businesses grow, workers prosper and economies flourish. Happy workers help create healthy businesses, and healthy businesses help build a healthy economy,” she said.
Drawing lessons from the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work initiative, she said productivity improvement must be pursued as a shared responsibility involving employers, workers, government institutions and training providers.
She said sustainable productivity gains could only be achieved when improvements translated into better employment opportunities, stronger enterprises and shared prosperity, while social dialogue remained indispensable for managing economic change and resolving workplace challenges before they escalated.
“Dialogue may not always make headlines, but it often prevents the problems that do,” she noted.
Ms Wüst said those lessons were particularly relevant as Ghana pursued key national priorities, including industrialisation, the proposed 24-Hour Economy Policy and efforts to create more jobs for its growing and increasingly skilled workforce.
She also highlighted the importance of trade facilitation in promoting productivity and decent work, saying efficient customs procedures, improved logistics, lower trade costs and modern border systems would enhance the competitiveness of Ghanaian businesses and improve their participation in regional and global value chains.
She said trade facilitation should be viewed not only as a trade policy objective but also as a labour market and development strategy capable of stimulating investment, enterprise growth and employment, particularly for women and young people.
“As Ghana implements the African Continental Free Trade Area and strengthens its position as a regional trade hub, investments in productivity, skills, quality infrastructure and efficient trade systems will become increasingly important,” she said.
Also addressing the conference, Ms Silje S. Vevatne, Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ghana, said the gathering was taking place at a critical moment when countries around the world were responding to rapid technological change, demographic transitions, climate change and evolving labour market dynamics.
She said those global developments made effective social dialogue and strong labour market institutions more important than ever.
Ms Vevatne said the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) supported the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work initiative because it recognised that productivity growth and decent work were mutually reinforcing.
She said sustainable economic growth could not be achieved through productivity improvements alone, but also required productive employment, fair labour practices, social inclusion and opportunities for both workers and enterprises to succeed together.
The Norwegian diplomat commended the conference’s focus on employment creation, decent work, labour administration, social stability, sustainable pension systems, the future of work and inclusive economic policies, saying those priorities aligned closely with NORAD’s commitment to building resilient and inclusive economies.
She welcomed the emphasis on collaboration among government, employers, workers’ organisations, civil society and development partners, describing partnership and evidence-based policymaking as fundamental to addressing labour market challenges.
Ms Vevatne also praised discussions on Ghana’s maiden Productivity, Employment and Growth Report, saying stronger evidence was essential for designing policies that improved productivity, generated quality jobs and ensured that economic growth benefited all segments of society.
She reaffirmed NORAD’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthened institutions, deepened social dialogue, promoted productive employment and advanced decent work outcomes in Ghana.
“We believe the discussions and recommendations emerging from this conference will contribute significantly to building a more productive, inclusive and sustainable future of work in Ghana,” she said.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/George-Ramsey Benamba