Agona Swedru, Nov 12, GNA - The Government has introduced co-ordinated National youth Employment policy to address the critical problem of unemployment in the districts, Mr Ben Mensah, Agona District Chief Executive (DCE) has said.

He said as part of this policy, the Agona District Assembly, in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, had embarked upon a youth employment and job creation drive in order to create livelihood for at least 500 people.

Mr Mensah was speaking at the second Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Agona Assembly at Swedru.

He said a District Employment taskforce has been put in place to select and facilitate the training of the youth to participate in rural education volunteer work, auxiliary nursing, youth and sanitation and waste management, as well as youth in crop agriculture programmes. Other models for the trainees include youth in non-crop Agriculture, grasscuter and snail farming, batic tie and dye, and soap making.

Mr Mensah said under the programme, the youth would be supported with loans and logistics to facilitate the smooth implementation of the projects.

He said the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment had already directed the Agona District Assembly to nominate one person to receive a seven million-cedi sponsorship package in grasscutter rearing project. The project, he said, is of high national priority and advised the Assembly members to be involved in the programme and disseminate information to their electorate. The DCE said revenue collected by the Assembly as of October 2005, amounted to 1,19 billion cedis, representing 72 percent, while expenditure for the period stood at 1,16 billion cedis, representing 70.6 percent.

Mr Mensah stated that in compliance with directives of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development against initiation of new projects, the assembly would continued with work on uncompleted projects for last year which are now progressing steadily. Alhaji Osumanu Abeka, Presiding Member of the Agona District Assembly, expressed concern about absenteeism, lateness and punctuality on the part of the assembly members and urged them to change for the better. He called a drastic action to renew majority of bye-laws of the assembly to promote the welfare of the people in the district.