Employment and Social Welfare Minister, Hon. E.T Mensah says there are vacancies in various ministries and government institutions but they can’t be occupied due to restrictions imposed by Ghana’s donor partners.
According to the Minister, the restrictions are attached to some credit facilities offered government by her partners.
Hon. E.T Mensah’s latest pronouncement confirms earlier reports in 2009, particularly by some members of the opposition, that the government froze public sector employment due to the Economic Governance and Poverty Reduction credit facility that it received from the World Bank.
Several groups including the youth protested and expressed worry at the government’s compliance with the restrictions from the World Bank.
Although, the government was hesitant at that time in conceding that its hands were tied, Mr. Mensah’s statement at a public forum, attended by the UK minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham confirms the earlier reports. “Most of the Ministries and departments have vacancies but we cannot recruit… I think we need to look at this (restriction)again”.
Meanwhile, a Labour Economist, Anthony Yaw Baah has told Citi News that government should stop complaining about restrictions attached to credit facilities from its development partners and withdraw from such programs.
Dr. Baah, who is also the deputy General Secretary of the TUC, added that it was virtually impossible for the government to enjoy credit facilities from organisations like the IMF and World Bank without accepting their conditionalities.
He admonished the government to start devising new and independent ways of accelerating the growth of the economy without relying on foreign assistance.