Budget not clear on entrepreneurial opportunities for youth – GTLC

Mr Ibrahim Akalbila, the National Coordinator of the Ghana Trades and Livelihoods Coalition (GTLC), says the 2022 budget has not provided a clear agenda in respect of a sustainable entrepreneurship programme for the youth in the country.

He said previous governments used such ambiguous statements without concrete plans to hold on to and that had continued to widen the unemployment problems for the youth.

Mr Akalbila made the statement in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, in reaction to the budget statement presented by Mr Ken Ofori–Atta, the Finance Minister, to Parliament.

The government, according to the Finance Minister, had developed the YouStart initiative, proposing GH¢1 billion each year to catalyze an ecosystem to create one million jobs.

Also, in partnership with the Financial Institutions and Development Partners, the government would raise two Billion Cedis while local Banks had also agreed to a package that will result in increasing the SME portfolio up to GHC 5 billion over the next three years.

However, the GTLC Coordinator said such plans needed to identify year on year agenda and which groups needed to be targeted for credit and training to ensure all benefited by end of the stipulated period.

“The opportunities the budget presented should give a roadmap to how the young men and women can gain from the interventions,” he said.

Source: GNA