Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said the Akufo-Addo government has the Ghanaian worker at the heart of his policies and urged them to individually and collectively put their best foot forward in pushing the productivity of the country, as the nation marks Workers’ Day today, 1 May 2019.

“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government will always put the interest of the Ghanaian worker first”, Dr Bawumia said in his May Day message produced in full below:

On the occasion of Workers’ Day, I congratulate Ghanaian workers and the Trades Union Congress of Ghana (TUC-Ghana) for your immense contribution in transforming Ghana.

As we celebrate the day, let us also use the occasion to reflect on what we can do in our individual and collective capacities to accelerate Ghana’s development in our respective fields of endeavour to increase productivity, improve the lives of Ghanaians, customer service and make the country globally competitive.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government will always put the interest of the Ghanaian worker first.

So far, we have:

1. reduced electricity tariffs – 17.5% for Households, 30% for Industries.

2. established the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) of 100,000 graduates to build the job skills of our graduates to be absorbed into the workforce.

3. created jobs and stopped the freeze on recruitment in the public sector. Over 350,000 qualified persons recruited.

4. abolished fees for post graduate medical training in Ghana.

5. increased the share of the DACF to persons with disabilities by 50%.

6. ensured the implementation of our pledge of employing 50% of the persons who manage the country’s toll booths from amongst persons with disabilities.

7. transferred GHS 3.1 billion of Tier 2 pension funds into the custodial accounts of the pension schemes of the labour unions, funds that had been outstanding since 2013.

8. restored Nursing and Teacher Training Allowances.

9. abolished excise duty on petroleum.

10. reduced the special petroleum tax rate from 17.5% to 13% and converted to a specific.

11. abolished levies imposed on ‘kayayei’ by local authorities.

12. abolished the 17.5% VAT/NHIL on financial services.

13. started the ‘One District One Factory’ initiative– some factories are operational now.

14. implemented a stimulus package for existing factories.

15. plans for the establishment of an automotive industry and an integrated Bauxite and Aluminium industry are far advanced.

16. revived the operations of VALCO and Anglogold Ashanti.

17. started to implement the ‘One Village One Dam’ initiative to help farmers and communities in the five northern regions.

18. made seeds, fertilisers and extension services available to farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.

19. 1,350 start-ups have benefited from National Entrepreneurshop and Innovation Plan – Beneficiary amounts range from GHS 10,000 to GHS 100,000.

20. restored research allowances for lecturers.

21. reduced inflation and interest rates.

22. Saved the deposits of 1.5 million depositors who would otherwise have lost their savings if their banks collapsed.

23. reduced the base of import duty charges by between 30% and 50% to reduce the burden on traders and businessmen.

24. provided financial support to disabled women entrepreneurs.

25. implemented the Free Senior High School policy to help parents and school children.

26. implemented the “Ghana TVET Voucher Project”, to provide training to registered master crafts persons, their workers and apprentices from the informal sector and also improve their access to accredited technical and vocational education and training at no cost.

As government and workers, we still have more to do but we can do it together for Ghana.

Ayekoo for your hard work, your patriotism and your commitment.

God bless our homeland Ghana.