The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, has identified the private sector as the most sustainable pathway to addressing Ghana’s unemployment challenges, urging government to prioritise policies that strengthen local production.
Speaking at the May Day celebrations on Friday, May 1, he said that while government-led job creation efforts remain important, long-term employment growth will depend on a vibrant and productive private sector.
Mr Ansah warned that the country’s heavy reliance on imports is undermining job creation, noting that “the large volumes of import that have saturated our market mean we are exporting jobs.”
He called for increased investment in manufacturing and agro-processing to boost local production, arguing that such a shift would create jobs at scale while reducing dependence on foreign goods.
According to him, this requires a deliberate policy shift to support sectoral diversification and make domestic production both viable and competitive.
He also criticised the current economic structure, saying it tends to favour imports while constraining local producers, thereby limiting the growth of indigenous enterprises.
Mr Ansah therefore urged government to place the private sector at the centre of its job creation strategy, insisting that strengthening local industries remains the most viable solution to Ghana’s employment challenges in the medium to long term.
