Using Labour Exports to Address Unemployment in Ghana.
In a bid to alleviate the current unemployment situation, the government has been implored to consider appropriate policy initiatives to regularize the exportation of labour. Mr. Martin Opoku Sekyere, Kumasi Metro Labour Officer, called for the government to negotiate bilateral agreements with other nations on labour export based on fair recruitments for the citizenry.
This move will not only help reduce alarming graduate unemployment but also prevent recruitment agencies from exploiting unsuspecting people seeking to travel abroad to work.
According to Mr. Sekyere, looking at the current direction of labour underutilization, it would be appropriate for the government to look into the issues of labour exports holistically. He further stated that countries that had adopted measures to export labour were reaping huge benefits and improving the living conditions of their people.
Additionally, labour exportation would not only help boost the country’s foreign exchange receipts but would also help build the skills and expertise of the people and equip them to transfer their knowledge to others for the good of the country.
While commending the government for emphasizing technical and vocational education, Mr. Sekyere noted that it would help provide the requisite skill sets for the people to work and earn a better living. He suggested that the government could initiate the policy and mandate the Labour Department to take up the challenge of following laid down procedures and processes to recruit and export labour for the country’s benefit.
In conclusion, Mr. Sekyere called for an urgent and comprehensive solution to the unemployment situation, and the regularization of labour exportation could be a crucial step in the right direction.