Government launches National Unemployment Insurance Scheme to address Covid-related lay offs

Government, through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has launched the National Unemployment Insurance Scheme to provide training and retraining for persons in the private sector who lost their jobs through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the initiative is to especially, facilitate the re-entry of affected persons  in the tourism and education sectors.

Speaking at the launch of the Scheme, the minister noted that a survey conducted by the ministry revealed that the education, tourism and hospitality sectors were the most affected at the height of the pandemic. Hence, the decision to prioritise them in the program.

‘’We did a survey during the Covid period, at the heat of it and we realise that these were the two formal sectors of society that were hardest hit by Covid and not just that, the number of persons involved too were quite huge and therefore we felt that if there was any intervention to actually make an impact in society this was the area that we should focus,’’ he said.

Mr. Baffour-Awuah further noted that subsequently, the program will be expanded to accommodate other sectors.

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta also registered his belief that the program will help expand the country’s job landscape as it offers opportunities to many.