Abuga Pele
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10th December, 2011
NYEP Saddled With GH¢25m Debt
The National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) is currently saddled with GH¢25 million debt, the National Co-ordinator of Programme, Mr. Abuga Pele, has declared.
The debt, according to him, was an accumulation of beneficiary allowances as well as other debts inherited from the previous managers of the scheme.
But that notwithstanding, he gave the assurance that beneficiaries of the programme would be paid all accumulated allowances due them by the end of December.
Mr. Pele announced this when the Ministry of Youth and Sports took its turn at the Meet-the-Press series at the Ministry of Information conference room.
He explained that the NYEP, under his leadership, inherited over GH¢34 million but had managed to reduce the debt, while expanding the beneficiaries of the programme.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Clement Kofi Humado, said that the ministry had brokered a debt re-scheduling agreement with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to pay off some of the debts.
“In accordance with this arrangement, the ministry has terminated the advance financing of salaries and allowances of its staff and beneficiaries by the bank and has arranged monthly payment of GH¢1 million to the bank until the entire debt is paid off,” he said.
The ministry, he said, was embarking on another headcount to ascertain the actual number of beneficiaries of the programme and indicated that the exercise which commenced on November 21, would be conducted nationwide.
Mr. Humado said the NYEP had recruited almost 232,910 beneficiaries which represented more than twice the recruitment level of about 108,000 beneficiaries at the end of 2008.
He attributed the success chalked by the programme to the innovativeness of the leadership of the programme by expanding modules and changing the policy focus of the programme from the traditional modules which had pay roll implications to the self employment modules.
“For instance, the trade and vocation module has been expanded to include grass cutter production, bamboo processing, smock weaving, sheanut processing and youth in film making, among others, while the youth in security module now includes Fire Service, Prisons and Airport Security,” he said.
In all, the minister said 14 new modules had been added to the initial five that were in existence since 2008 and added that 5,000 young people were currently being trained in the oil and gas training module at the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI).
Mr. Humado said the ministry had developed a comprehensive exit plan to ensure that the beneficiaries, after their mandatory two years service, obtained permanent employment or were in good capacity to pursue further education.
The debt, according to him, was an accumulation of beneficiary allowances as well as other debts inherited from the previous managers of the scheme.
But that notwithstanding, he gave the assurance that beneficiaries of the programme would be paid all accumulated allowances due them by the end of December.
Mr. Pele announced this when the Ministry of Youth and Sports took its turn at the Meet-the-Press series at the Ministry of Information conference room.
He explained that the NYEP, under his leadership, inherited over GH¢34 million but had managed to reduce the debt, while expanding the beneficiaries of the programme.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Clement Kofi Humado, said that the ministry had brokered a debt re-scheduling agreement with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to pay off some of the debts.
“In accordance with this arrangement, the ministry has terminated the advance financing of salaries and allowances of its staff and beneficiaries by the bank and has arranged monthly payment of GH¢1 million to the bank until the entire debt is paid off,” he said.
The ministry, he said, was embarking on another headcount to ascertain the actual number of beneficiaries of the programme and indicated that the exercise which commenced on November 21, would be conducted nationwide.
Mr. Humado said the NYEP had recruited almost 232,910 beneficiaries which represented more than twice the recruitment level of about 108,000 beneficiaries at the end of 2008.
He attributed the success chalked by the programme to the innovativeness of the leadership of the programme by expanding modules and changing the policy focus of the programme from the traditional modules which had pay roll implications to the self employment modules.
“For instance, the trade and vocation module has been expanded to include grass cutter production, bamboo processing, smock weaving, sheanut processing and youth in film making, among others, while the youth in security module now includes Fire Service, Prisons and Airport Security,” he said.
In all, the minister said 14 new modules had been added to the initial five that were in existence since 2008 and added that 5,000 young people were currently being trained in the oil and gas training module at the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI).
Mr. Humado said the ministry had developed a comprehensive exit plan to ensure that the beneficiaries, after their mandatory two years service, obtained permanent employment or were in good capacity to pursue further education.
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