Although the National Youth Employment Programme was envisaged to create an estimated 532,500 jobs between 2006 and 2009 from eight employment modules nationwide, available figures at the end of 2008 showed that only 25 per cent of the target had been met, Mr Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, said on Thursday.
He said there was therefore a huge gap to fill, but added that government was not unaware of the level of expectation and agitation it had
inherited.
"We are primarily concerned with filling the huge discrepancy that exists between the total number of registered youth and the ratio yet to be employed in order to restore hope to our teeming unemployed youth," he said.
Mr Segbefia said this at the orientation workshop for Greater Accra Metropolitan, Municipal and District (MMD) National Youth Employment Coordinators (NYEC) in Accra under theme, "Ghana Youth Working to Build a
Better Ghana."
Organised by Roagam Links, Zoom Lion Ghana Ltd, the new Coordinators and Management who were trained two months ago were taken through their role in the NYEP since its inception in 2006.
They were also instructed on challenges facing the programme, including HIPC funds, road tax, Communication Tax, National Health Insurance Scheme and the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Mr Segbefia explained that in order to achieve the vision of transforming the NYEP into a better funded and continental example of an
employment agency, government through Cabinet was in the process of considering a legal backing for the programme.
Such a legal instrument would define the structure, functions, responsibilities and obligations, together with the funding arrangements for the programme, Mr Segbefia said.
The instrument could therefore be used to enforce compliance by all funding agencies of the programme in terms of regular and prompt release of funds for NYEP activities as well as deduction of NYEP funds at source.
Mr Segbefia noted that government also held the belief that the percentage of the Communication Service Tax allocated to NYEP be increased from the current 20 per cent to a more acceptable percentage.
He called on MMD NYEP co-ordinators to desist from any acts of corruption that would derail the objectives of the reforms just carried out.
Mr Segebefia said inadequate funds had been identified as a major setback to the success of the NYEP project, adding "let us show prudence in
handling the available resources".
Nii Ashie Moore, Greater Accra Regional Coordinator for NYEP, said the programme had engaged over 100,000 youth since its inception, adding that the signal was that the programme had helped to reduce the incidence of
street youth who could have gradually developed into robbers or any other form of social nuisance.
He said government intended to provide the necessary support for the improvement of the programme, especially the "Youth in Agriculture" model adding, "I have no doubt whatsoever that this would open more avenues for the recruitment of many youth."
Nii Ashie noted that in spite of the heavy competition faced by the youth in the job market, after finding solace in NYEP they did not enjoy the entire standard benefits due employees.
He proposed for consideration an arrangement which could make it possible for beneficiaries under the NYEP to enjoy free medical services and
social security.