‘Gov't to rape resources under improved GYEEDA agenda’

Source: myjoyonline.com  -  Member of Parliament for Sekondi Papa Owusu Ankomah says the new Youth Employment Agency Bill passed by Parliament and awaiting presidential assent is nothing but a vehicle to "rape" the country's limited resources.

The new Youth Employment Agency replaces the wanton Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) which was pregnant with corruption and misappropriation of funds.

Even before the new Bill will be assented into Law, Papa Owusu Ankamah told Joy News' Parliamentary Correspondent, Elton John Brobbey the new bill is just a means to legitimise another bout of corruption in government.

He said the agency will be stashed with cash and doled out to party favourites just like it was done under GYEEDA.

The Sekondi MP said given the experiences the country has gone through with GYEEDA, it was imprudent for Government to have rushed through with a new Youth Employment bill.

According to him, Government cannot allocate funds to the Ministry without any specific properly budgeted programme and wondered why it would do that under this new youth employment agency.

However Minister of Employment and Labour Relations Haruna Iddrisu told Elton John Brobbey the new Bill will provide a new lease of life to youth unemployment in the country.

According to him, over 45,000 to 100,000 youth will be provided with job opportunities under the new programme.

30,000 will be employed under a new sanitation module.

He said 100 million cedis has been made available under the Communication tax to fund part of the activities of the agency.

Addressing issues about the fallout of GYEEDA, the Minister said every expenditure under this new agency will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

He added that the new law provides a perfect legal framework to supervise the administration of this new programme.

He also mentioned that no youth employment beneficiary will be paid below the country's minimum wage, adding that recruitment will be done purely on merits and MPs from other political parties will be given the opportunity to suggest potential beneficiaries.