Government to launch GH¢10m Jobs and Enterprises Fund Next Month

Accra, Oct. 29, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama said government will in the next few days launch the Jobs and Enterprises Fund (JEC) to support access to business financing by young people who are desirous of engaging in entrepreneurship.   President Mahama said Government will provide a GH¢ 10m cedi seed capital for the Jobs and Enterprises Fund, which will also address funding frustrations of young and local businesses.   This was contained in a press statement signed by Emmanuel Arthur, the Corporate Affairs Manager of Rlg Communications and copied to the Ghana News Agency.   President Mahama made the announcement at the 1st National Youth Achievers Awards in Accra at the weekend and said the move was expected to add to several interventions by government to address youth unemployment in Ghana.   The fund will be administered at JEC to be established across the country to ease the burden on job seekers and first-time young businessmen and women.   The event was organized by Charterhouse and sponsored by Rlg Communications. Young achievers who have excelled in 26 different fields of endeavour were rewarded at the ceremony.   They were selected by a 10-member jury led by Prof. Atukwei Okai Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association, who screened more than 250 entries, among Ghanaian youth, both home and abroad.   Stephen Appiah, Former Senior national team captain took the award for youth leadership while Michael Henaku, Chief Executive of Beige Capital, and Eunice Ogbogu,the Managing Director of Eugo Terrano, emerged the overall National Youth Personalities.   Other award winners included Anas Aremiyaw Anas,the ace investigative journalist, and Manasseh Azuri Awuni, the 2011 GJA Journalist of the year, who emerged joint winners in the Media Excellence category.   A high point of the event was when President Mahama offered to personally decorate two physically challenged ladies, Farida Afua Bedwei, for Special Award and RLG Award for Information and Communication Technology recipient, Derrydine Dadzie.   Other award winners included Shirley Frimpong Manso for Film; Hiplife Musicians Sarkodie and Becca for Music   The ceremony was attended by several Ministers of State and Deputies as well as Chief Executives of some state and private organizations.   President Mahama said expansion of models, re-organisation and transformation of the erstwhile National Youth Employment Programme to become the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency ( GYEEDA), has created employment to 200,000 youth nationwide since the NDC government assumed office in 2009.   He said additional 5,000 jobs have been created for young people in the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).   The president said government had amply demonstrated its avowed interest in persons with disability by the execution of the PWDs ICT project intended to give ICT and related training to 20,000 PWDs in phases.   The President also announced government will from next month distribute 100,000 laptops to tertiary institutions across the country to promote research and development while frantic efforts are being made to expand ICT infrastructure at all levels of education.   “The NDC government’s position on education has always been in favour of access and quality. We are convinced the job market will require the highest quality of educated and trained personnel to stimulate growth in our economy.”   “Government’s programme to supply 60,000 laptops to basic schools is intended to ensure pupils, students and teachers are not left out of the ICT world”, the president said.   He asked the youth to resist attempts by politicians to use them for selfish political gains as the country approaches the December 7 general elections while pledging the commitment of government to ensure peaceful polls.   The Chief Executive of Rlg Communications, Roland Agambire said the company’s decision to sponsor the awards scheme “is only to demonstrate our passion and commitment towards hardworking, commitment and innovative young persons.   He cautioned the youth against destructive tendencies such as sycophancy, laziness and corruption”. He reiterated his pledge to create jobs for one million youth within the next five years.   The idea for the National Youth Achievers Awards scheme was mooted by President Mahama, who as Vice President bemoaned the non-existence of a comprehensive national youth awards, to recognize their contribution.   GNA... Read Full Story