A Deputy Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament for Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, has reiterated the government’s commitment to pursuing wealth creation programmes in 2024 to benefit the country’s teeming youthful population.

The Deputy Minister for Finance in charge of Wealth Creation in a statement welcoming the New Year, acknowledged the efforts of the government in the past years to create wealth in building a prosperous nation.

According to him, one of the significant developments so far in 2024 for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana is the launch of the Business and Employment Assistance Programme (BEAP) by the Youth Employment Agency, under the leadership of its dedicated CEO, Mr Kofi Baah Agyepong.

The BEAP programme aims to support 10,000 companies, leading to the creation of 20,000 jobs for young people across the country. Through this initiative, MSMEs can apply to receive salary support from the YEA.

The legislator said, “This marks another innovative intervention by the Akufo-Addo administration, empowering the youth of Ghana to generate wealth and address the issue of unemployment.”

This year, all youth and MSME-related agencies, including the National Youth Authority, the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme, Ghana Enterprise Agency, Development Bank, COTVET/NVTI, GIPC, EXIMBank, among others, have committed to focusing more on youth empowerment, access to finance, and skills training for Ghanaian youth.

The Minister noted, “The government's ambitious Youstart Program is also set to be fully implemented to reduce unemployment in Ghana.”

“As the Deputy Minister of Finance overseeing wealth creation, I will ensure all government institutions and private sector partners work towards the vision of the President of ensuring a prosperous nation” he assured.