Bono Regional Director of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Justice Appiah Antwi says the average Ghanaian youth does not approach persons in positions of power and authority with business ideas worth funding.
He noted, “When the Ghanaian youth approach you for help, they don’t come for money to start out as entrepreneurs. They only come and ask you for help in getting jobs with the ECG, GRA and other state institutions.”
The MASLOC Regional Director agreeing with the speech by Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta at the graduation ceremony for students of UPSA, where he urged them to pursue entrepreneurship and not chase after government work added, “In Africa and Ghana in particular the youth after school are interested in getting a government job. But now the government does not have that capacity to create jobs and that is why the (gov’t) introduces policies and support systems like MASLOC to help support them in their entrepreneurship endeavours.”
He shared his position during an interview with Sefah-Danquah on the Happy Morning Show aired on e.TV Ghana and Happy98.9FM.
He admitted that government can only employ a few people and believes the private sector is where people can thrive. “And that will help expand our economy because if we keep relying on government all the time we won’t grow as expected.”
Background
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has urged fresh graduates from the various tertiary institutions to find innovative ways of becoming entrepreneurs.
According to him, that is the only way the rising unemployment rate in the country can be reduced.
He said it will help reduce the over-reliance on the government for jobs, and also reduce the burden on the government’s payroll.
Speaking at the Springboard Youth Dialogues Mr. Ofori-Atta explained that 60% of Ghana’s revenue is spent every month on the payment of salaries of public sector workers.
“That payroll is full because we are spending some 60% of our revenue on remunerating some 650,000 people. That is not sustainable.”
He told the graduating students that: “…You have the skills set to be able to do what you have to do. Our responsibility as a government is to create the environment and the macro stability, currency stability and ensure that you have access to the relevant skills and financing.”
