Government has increased the NYEP share of the talk time tax from 20 to 60 percent as part of its efforts to establish a firm source of funding for the operations of youth employment programmes in the country.
The increase, which takes effect from April 1, would give the NYEP a regular monthly amount of about GHc 4.5 million,Mr Abuga Pele, National Coordinator of the NYEP told the GNA in Accra on Wednesday.
Mr Pele expressed joy that the measure represented a big boost to the youth programmes of the NYEP, an indication that the government had lived up to its promise to revamp and make the programme sustainable.
He said though the money accrued from the tax might not be adequate for the entire operations of NYEP programmes in the country, it was a good beginning and that other sources of
funding would still be explored to support the programme.
He said the delays in payment of allowances to beneficiaries would now be improved saying, “Government must be highly commended for such a bold step to support funding of youth programmes”.
“This is an example worth emulating in the sub- region to avert social instability, which is partly caused by lack of employment”, he said and appealed to other funding agency to release funds regularly to support the programme.
Mr Pele appealed to other funding agencies to release their budgetary allocation to the NYEP to enhance operation and alleviate the plight of beneficiaries who are contributing their quota to nation building.
It would be recalled that the presidency directed the Ministry of Roads and Highway, the GETFund and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to release their 10% budgetary allocations to the NYEP “Without any further
delay”, to help remove bottlenecks in NYEP operations and place it on a sound footing to support the government’s “Better Ghana Agenda”.
Currently the NYEP has engaged some 100,000 youths under its various modules. The World Bank under its youth enterprise project is supporting with $65 million to help train the youth in entrepreneurial skills to enable them set up their
own businesses.