Former President John Mahama, who is the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 General Elections, has on the occasion of International Youth Day, pledged to nurture a skilled youth equipped with entrepreneurial skills and create the enabling economic environment for investment by easing the burden of taxes imposed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The former President bemoaned the rising unemployment, the escalating cost of living and the non-availability of opportunities for the youth that have left many of them despondent, promising to work to have a quick turnaround for the youth.

“For me, John Dramani Mahama, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), we are committed to urgently turning this situation around by paving the way for nurturing a generation of skilled youth.

A new NDC administration will work urgently to equip our youth with the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. We will introduce a 24-hour economy with incentives and tax breaks for manufacturers who will run extra shifts to create more room for employment.

We will work to ease the burden of taxes imposed by this NPP administration on Ghanaian businesses and investors, which has robbed Ghana of its envious position as one of Africa’s leading destinations for investment,” he said in a statement celebrating the youth last Saturday.

He celebrated the invaluable contributions of the youth to national development, describing them as the driving force of positive change and innovation.

“I celebrate the creativity, enterprise, and passion of Ghana’s youth. I want to use this occasion to highlight the importance of our young people as the driving force of positive change and innovation,” he noted in the statement.

According to the United Nations, “International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

The idea for International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by the young people who were gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System.

The Forum recommended that an International Youth Day be declared, especially for fund-raising and promotional purposes, to support the United Nations Youth Fund in partnership with youth organizations.”

Full statement of John Mahama below:

On International Youth Day, I celebrate the creativity, enterprise, and passion of Ghana’s youth. I want to use this occasion to highlight the importance of our young people as the driving force of positive change and innovation.

Our youth have been key agents of change and development throughout our nation’s history. To ensure a brighter future, we must empower a generation of skilled youth, create decent jobs, and support the youth to transform our country, Africa, and the world.

Rising unemployment, increasing cost of living, and lack of opportunities have left many young people feeling hopeless and are testing their sense of patriotism to the limit.

For me, John Dramani Mahama, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), we are committed to urgently turning this situation around by paving the way for nurturing a generation of skilled youth.

A new NDC administration will work urgently to equip our youth with the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. We will introduce a 24-hour economy with incentives and tax breaks for manufacturers who will run extra shifts to create more room for employment.

We will work to ease the burden of taxes imposed by this NPP administration on Ghanaian businesses and investors, which has robbed Ghana of its envious position as one of Africa’s leading destinations for investment.

We will maximise the potential of agriculture and agribusiness and provide critical social and IT infrastructure to stimulate economic growth.

Our policy priorities will imbue our young people with the “knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society” — the critical Green Skills our youth need to advance a sustainable world.

People matter, and by working together, we will build the Ghana we want and put the smiles back on the faces of our young people.

Happy International Youth Day.