GEA calls for jobs impact test on major policies

October 15, 2026

2 minutes read

Dr Afriyie (middle) speaking at the programme. With Mrs Ofosu-Adjare (second from left) and other dignitaries at the event

The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has called on the government to introduce an employment impact test for major fiscal and industrial policies before implementation to assess their potential effects on jobs and businesses.

The proposed test would require policymakers to evaluate how major policy decisions could affect existing jobs, new employment opportunities, labour costs, business competitiveness, investment and youth employment.

The President of the GEA, Nana Dr Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodee Afriyie, made the call at the association’s 66th Annual General Meeting in Accra yesterday. The meeting was held on the theme: “Macroeconomic stability, policy predictability and employment creation in Ghana”.

He said job creation must become an explicit objective of economic policy rather than an outcome expected to follow economic growth.

Dr Afriyie explained that the proposed test would help policymakers identify and manage the potential employment consequences of major decisions before they were implemented, thereby reducing unintended effects on businesses and workers.

The GEA said the national unemployment rate averaged 12.8 per cent during the first three quarters of 2025, while unemployment among young people aged between 15 and 35 averaged 21.9 per cent.

Dr Afriyie said the situation represented lost income, productivity and human capital, while potentially threatening social cohesion and the country’s future development.

The association also proposed the institutionalisation of a Policy Predictability Compact (PPC) between the government and the private sector to strengthen consultation before major business-related policies were introduced.

Dr Afriyie said the compact should provide adequate transition periods and clearer guidance on major tax and regulatory reforms to enable businesses to plan effectively and make long-term investment decisions.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the government was rolling out industrial policies and support programmes to boost local manufacturing and create jobs as part of efforts to move Ghana from economic stabilisation to production-led growth.

She said the policies targeted strategic sectors, including textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing and agribusiness, to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on imports.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said the government was also developing multipurpose industrial parks across the regions, introducing support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and establishing industrial subcontracting exchanges to link smaller businesses with larger enterprises.

She said the initiatives formed part of the government’s broader Policy and Growth Blueprint, which aimed to strengthen domestic production, promote regional development and expand Ghana’s export capacity.

The minister said she had taken note of the GEA’s proposals, including the proposed employment impact test for major fiscal, tax, regulatory and industrial policies, and would convey them to the relevant ministers for consideration.

She called for stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector to attract investment into the real sector and position Ghana as a manufacturing and industrial hub in the sub-region.

BY HILDA NSAMI AND PRINCE ADDO FRIMPONG

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