Akufo-Addo says agenda for jobs on course

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the 15-month track record of his government has demonstrated that his commitment to jobs creation is on course. “Many of the identified flagship projects under the Agenda [for jobs] have already been launched, some are being effectively prepared, and others planned for their imminent take-off,” he said on Wednesday. At the launch of government’s 7-year Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies in Accra, the President said the gloomy economy he inherited from the John Maham-led government has been reversed, and currently being revitalised. “The revamping of our economic and social infrastructure is on course; “dumsor” has ended, through the improvement of financing, generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power; the renovation and expansion of the railway network to northern Ghana is being pursued vigorously; and the revival of the transportation systems for the Volta Lake and the Eastern Corridor road have been initiated,” he said. Nana Akufop-Addo told the gathering that the fight against illegal mining is on course, with some of the rivers showing visible signs of recovery. On agriculture, he said the sector has exhibited the initial signs of transformation, with the implementation of the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs. The ‘one village, one dam’ initiative, which, he said, will be launched momentarily to cover the northern parts of the country, would help bring farmers closer to sustainable, all-year-round agricultural production. “The social sector of Ghana is working again, with the implementation of the free Senior High School policy, the strengthening and alignment of Technical and Vocational Education Institutions; the facilitation of the ICT Programme in schools, and the continuation of the rationalization and expansion of educational infrastructure,” he said. He added: “The restructuring of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been initiated, with an intense stakeholder consultation process, whilst the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme has been expanded to cover more households. The Ghana School Feeding Programme has also been expanded to cover additional communities. The Affirmative Action Bill is under consideration by Cabinet, and the proportion of the Disability Fund of the District Common Fund has been increased.” Under governance, Nana Akufo-Addo said a programme for the amendment of the relevant articles of the 1992 Constitution to pave way for the direct election of MMDCEs, and bring full democracy to local government, has been defined. He also mentioned the constitutional processes for the reorganization of the regional governance structure, which he said would bring government closer to the people to accelerate development. “The Office of the Special Prosecutor, and the identity of its first occupant, have been effected; the Right to Information Bill has been presented to Parliament; the Public Sector Reform Strategy has been reviewed, and will be launched in a few weeks from now, whilst reforms of our system of public procurement are on-going,” he added. President Akufo-Addo stated that actions have already begun on many of the flagship programmes under the Agenda for Jobs, and the remaining will commence shortly. “It is my conviction that the effect and impact of these initiatives, and many others articulated in the document, will go a long way to ignite and sustain the transformation we are craving for our nation, and bring us close to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added. By 3news.com|Ghana]]>