LPG to establish $10b job fund

The Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) will establish a $10-billion Job Fund to provide capital for young Ghanaians to start their own businesses when the party is voted into power in next year’s general election, the presidential candidate, Kofi Akpaloo has pledged.

According to him, the youth needed to be supported to create their own jobs and not rely on non-existent colour jobs.

Mr Akpaloo who disclosed this yesterday in interview after paying a visit to the Ghanaian Times, said supporting the youth to create their own businesses would help address unemployment and help boost government tax revenue, as the youth would be in the financial position to pay tax.

The visit afforded the presidential candidates and his executives to familiarise themselves with the operations of the paper and also deepen the relationship between the party and the Ghanaian Times.

Sharing the LPG’s 20 point message for the 2020 elections with the Ghanaian Times, Mr Akpaloo noted that when voted into power, LPG would set up a “new start-up allowance” to help unemployed graduates start new businesses.

“LPG will stand guarantee for loans up to GHC250, 000 to support the educated youth for self-employment. LPG will introduce the payment of monthly child benefits and unemployment benefit to people after 18 years, paying child and unemployment benefits will help spur consumption and encourage companies to produce more.

Quizzed why the country was still not developed after 62 years of independence, Mr Akpaloo said successive governments had not borrowed enough to address infrastructural challenges facing the country.

Asked about the performance of the current government, the presidential candidate said the government was doing well and is working to fulfil all its campaign promises however, it could do more to alleviate poverty,  invest more to improve road and other infrastructure.

Mr Akpaloo asked the various political parties not to just criticise the government but offer solutions and provide alternative policies to what the government was doing, party supports a ‘yes’ vote since it would address winner-takes-all syndrome, accelerate national development and give power to people at the grassroots to elect them.

By Kingsley Asare