Government, last Wednesday, 1st June 2022, concluded the first phase of its YOUSTART stakeholder engagements, after it engaged the last batch of public institutions, regional ministers and municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives from the Eastern, Volta and Oti region in Koforidua, in the Eastern region.
Government is expected to begin phase two of the stakeholder engagements from Monday, 6th June 2022 during which civil society organizations, Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Association of Ghanaian Industries, identifiable youth groups, NABCO beneficiaries, Faith Based Organizations, and the media will be engaged to sensitize them on the programme and to get their feedback ahead of the launch by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Speaking at the last engagement programme for some Government institutions, regional ministers and Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives, Minister For Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development and member of Parliament for Okere, Mr. Dan Botwe indicated that due to the potential impact of the YOUSTART programme on the local economy it was important MMDCES were sensitized on the programme ahead of its launch.
The deputy Minister For Finance and member of Parliament For Ejisu, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah who represented the Minister For Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta at the stakeholder engagement mentioned that having engaged all the regional ministers, Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives, Government will now proceed to engage with various organizations and groups in order to drive understanding and acceptability of the programme.
“So far, we have engaged every Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives and have tasked them to set up Youstart desks at the grassroot level ahead of the launch. In the coming days, we will also engage with civil society organizations, Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Association of Ghanaian Industries, identifiable youth groups, NABCO beneficiaries, Faith Based Organizations and the media. Government has over the past years worked to reduce the unemployment situation in the country through recruitment into the public sector, NABCO, 1D1F, planting for food and jobs among several others. To reduce the unemployment numbers drastically Government has introduced YOUSTART, targeting 1 million jobs in the next three year. So, we want to make sure everybody is involved in how the programme is planned and executed. That is why we spending time doing this engagement” he said.
YouStart is being funded by the Electronic Transfer Levy.
YOUSTART is a programme that seeks to support young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training and technical skills that will enable them start, build and grow their own businesses. This initiative targets young people and students between the ages of 18-35 years who have brilliant business ideas and viable businesses, and supports these individuals to nurture, grow and expand their businesses and job creation in the economy.
Government through the YOUSTART programme intends to build an entrepreneurial nation by providing some of the key enablers that make entrepreneurship a success. These include: training & Capacity, access to market, technology and procurement opportunities, Business development support services, access to finance (up to 500,000) and compliance and quality assurance support.
Given the high rate of youth unemployment in the country, Government intends to use the YOUSTART programme to create more jobs for the economy and to support the expansion and growth of Ghanaian businesses within the next 3 years.
