High unemployment slows down development in Cape Coast – Vice Chancellor

The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah has said the high unemployment in the Cape Coast Metropolis was slowing down its pace of development.

He said the vibrant fishing industry which used to be the economic lifeline of the area was gone, and it would require the support of all stakeholders to revive the industry and help create wealth for people.

Prof Anamuah-Mensah who is also the Chairman of the 23-member Cape Coast Metropolitan Local Economic Development Technical Committee, said it was time public-private partnerships were developed to stimulate growth in the Metropolis.

The committee which is made up of local government officials, business representatives, civil society groups as well as training institutions, will serve as a platform for mobilizing and managing the Metropolis’ local capacity resources to accelerate its development.

He said he hoped that the committee would identify economic potentials and partners, particularly in small scale and medium enterprises that had been the engine of economic development of every nation.

Mr Anthony Egyir Aikins, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Cape Coast, said  non-competitiveness of the local private sector as well as the decline in the tourism and fishing sector had resulted in wide spread poverty among the citizenry in the metropolis.

“Wherever you go, the cry of the people is that they have not seen any meaningful improvement in their lives, they are looking up to the Assembly to come to their aid to reduce their poverty and help them generate income,” he said.

He said the Committee will deliver technical inputs to aid the Assembly to provide the enabling and institutional framework to facilitate the growth and development of the local private sector to stimulate employment generation and economic growth.

He announced that the Assembly has allocated an amount of GH¢10,000 to support the work of the Committee to fulfil its mandate.

Mr Peter Derry, the Coordinating Director of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, swore in the members of the Committee and encouraged them to give of their best.

Source: GNA