Paschal Donohoe, the Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, has reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s economic recovery, job creation and long-term development.
Mr Donohoe gave the assurance at the end of his three-day official visit to Ghana, during which he engaged key government officials and stakeholders.
He met with President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, among others.
A statement issued by the Bank said discussions focused on advancing reforms to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The delegation imclude Marina Wes, Director of Strategy and Operations for the Western and Central Africa Region; Robert Taliercio O’Brien, Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC Division Director for West Africa Gulf of Guinea; and Kyle Kelhofer, IFC Senior Country Manager for Ghana and Liberia.
During a meeting with the Finance Minister, Mr Donohoe commended the government’s progress in stabilising the economy and restoring fiscal discipline.
He described the improvement in Ghana’s national finances as remarkable, while acknowledging the need to sustain the gains.
Dr Forson, however, highlighted youth unemployment as a major national challenge, noting that public sector jobs alone could not absorb the growing youth population.
He stressed the need for deliberate policies to drive private sector-led job creation across key sectors of the economy.
The statement said the World Bank would undertake a Jobs and Growth Analysis to identify priority sectors for employment expansion.
A major highlight of the visit was the confirmation of a 300 million US dollar commitment to Ghana’s secondary education sector under the STARR-J programme.
The announcement was made during a joint visit to the Armed Forces Senior High Technical School at Burma Camp in Accra.
The programme will support the rehabilitation and expansion of senior high schools and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
It will also prioritise practical, job-relevant skills training to better prepare students for the labour market.
At the University of Ghana, Mr Donohoe called for stronger collaboration between academia and industry to address skills mismatches.
He urged employers to play a more active role in shaping curricula to ensure graduates acquire relevant skills for employment.
The delegation also visited a rooftop solar installation by LMI Holdings at the Tema Free Zones enclave, highlighting the role of private investment in clean energy development.
Mr Donohoe reiterated the World Bank’s commitment to supporting reforms that create jobs, strengthen institutions and promote inclusive growth in Ghana.
Mr Kojo Aduhene, LMI Holdings Chairman called for regulatory reform to remove structural barriers currently limiting private solar investment at scale, identifying gaps in power wheeling rules and standardized power purchase agreement terms as specific constraints that must be addressed.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
