Minister for Labour, Employment and Jobs, Rashid Pelpuo, has announced the launch of Ghana’s labour export programme, aimed at tackling rising unemployment by creating sustainable job opportunities for citizens both locally and internationally.
Speaking in an interview on June 2, Pelpuo emphasized that the initiative is fully compliant with Ghana’s labour laws, ensuring that workers’ rights remain protected throughout the process.
“In our labour law, the right exists for every person to work in dignity, with respect, and to retain what they have worked for. The laws are very clear”.
The Minister explained that the programme is not being undertaken arbitrarily, but rather through structured bilateral agreements with partner countries interested in Ghanaian labour.
“We insist that for anybody to leave this country for another, there must be bilateral relations with that country regarding the export of labour. In other words, we can’t just go into another country and work en masse”.
Pelpuo also outlined the criteria for selecting partner countries, stating that mutual interest in labour exchange plays a crucial role in the decision-making process.
“The criteria will be based on the interest of the country. In labour relations, we consider if there’s interest from our side in providing labour and whether the external country has interest in employing it. When the two align, we consider it legitimate to proceed.”
The government sees the labour export initiative as a dual-purpose solution addressing unemployment while also filling employment gaps in foreign markets.
“These countries express interest in Ghanaian labour, and where we determine that the people we are sending are not too critical to our economy, we agree to do so. It helps solve two problems—first, to fill the employment gap and second, to provide jobs for those currently unemployed”.
