Takoradi Jan 13, GNA - Mr. Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister, on Saturday said programmes at the tertiary level are beneficial to national development.

This was contained in an address read on his behalf at the 7th Annual National Delegates Mini Conference of the Association of Polytechnic Higher National Diploma (HND) Accountancy Students at Takoradi under the theme, "The HND Accounting Programme in National Development".

Mr. Amoah said the government gave a lot of thought and consideration before approving tertiary programmes and called on HND Accountancy students to disabuse their minds of the wrong perception that some tertiary programmes were not useful and beneficial to the country.

The Regional Minister said HND Accountancy graduates should not have any problem of job placement because there were a lot of avenues in the public and private sectors since no organisation could survive without proper accounting systems.

He said HND Accountancy graduates could be employed by the Audit Service as Internal and External Auditors of government departments including the district assemblies.

Mr. Amoah said they could also be of importance to the various small-scale enterprises since micro businesses should adopt and implement best business practices accepted in modern management to achieve sustainable growth.

Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Chief Executive, said Polytechnics were capable of meeting the manpower requirements of the country and called on the National Council for Tertiary Education, National Accreditation Board, Conference of Polytechnic Principals and the various Polytechnic Councils to play their respective roles effectively.

Mr Henry Agbaya, National President of the Association, appealed to the government to help create more awareness on the rationale of the educational reforms.