A Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) has been launched in Accra in bid to bridge the unemployment occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic

The project is at contributing to Ghana’s sustainable post-Covid-19 recovery in the health sector and the restoration of livelihoods, income, employment opportunities and private sector development.

It also seeks to promote technical and entrepreneurship for job creation among the youth and women.

The project is funded from a grant facility of US $31.34 million, comprising $ 28.5 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB), and 2.8 million from the Government of Ghana.

The project will be implemented in seven regions in Ghana – Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, Northern, Central, and Upper West.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah described the project as timely.

He  said the project is in line with critical government development policy frameworks, such as the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda, Government Coordinated Program of Economic and Social Development as well as the Country Strategy Paper (2019- 2013).

The Employment Minister urged beneficiaries of PSDPEP to own the project by mainstreaming it into their programmes.

Mr. Baffour-Awuah was certain it is necessary for its successful implementation of the project.

The General Manager Ghana News Agency (GNA), Albert Kofi Owusu, was elated about the grant from AfDB

“A very timely intervention at a time the Agency is badly in need of a capital injection,” he said.

Mr. Owusu stated that, the financial support will enable Ghana’s wire service train its staff, rehabilitate five of its regional offices, including the Head Office in Accra, as well as acquire modern equipment to enhance its news gathering activities.

“I stand here on behalf of the Board, Management and staff of the Agency, as well as the Ministry of Information to express our deepest appreciation for this great support from the AfDB” he noted.

For his part, the Executive Director of the Social Investment Fund and Project Coordinator, Kofi Frimpong said the pandemic disrupted livelihoods at the individual, household and entrepreneurial levels due to lockdowns.

The project, he added, would, therefore, help to alleviate the plight of those affected.

Desk Head of AFDB at the Ministry of Finance, Emmanuel Fordjour said the Bank is committed to assisting Ghana to recover from the hardships the people suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PSDPEP beneficiaries are the Ghana News Agency, the Social Investment Fund, the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), the Biotechnology Centre, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Microbiology Centre.

The rest are the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Vocational Training Institute.