On February 7, 2023, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), asserted that despite the global economic crisis, the government had generated 2.1 million jobs between 2017 and 2022. This declaration was made during the unveiling of his national vision as part of his campaign for the 2024 election, with reference to data from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Breaking down the statistics, he revealed that according to SSNIT’s records, the public sector had employed 1.2 million individuals, while the private sector had contributed 975,000 jobs to this total.
This wasn’t the first instance where the Vice President had made such a statement. He initially addressed this issue in April 2023 during a gathering with NPP supporters in the Eastern Region, highlighting the contrast with the previous administration’s track record on job creation.
Despite criticism, Dr. Bawumia reiterated this claim on multiple occasions, including during the launch of the YouStart project on December 1, 2023, and at the unveiling of the Youth Employment Agency’s Business and Employment Assistance Programme on December 11, 2023. On both occasions, he emphasized the government’s job creation achievements in comparison to past administrations.
However, inconsistencies arose when comparing these figures with previous statements from government officials. Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta had mentioned the creation of 2.3 million jobs in a budget presentation on November 15, 2023, while Employment Minister Ignatius Baffuor Awuah had suggested the creation of 5.3 million jobs since 2017, further complicating the matter.
Fact-Check Ghana sought to verify these claims by submitting a Right to Information request to SSNIT. In response, SSNIT revealed that the total number of new contributors between 2017 and 2022 was 1,542,592, significantly lower than the figures cited by Dr. Bawumia. Additionally, SSNIT noted that their 2022 figures were yet to be officially certified and published.
Considering the discrepancy between Dr. Bawumia’s claims and SSNIT’s data, it appears that the assertion of creating 2.1 million jobs is not supported by the evidence provided by SSNIT.
SOURCE : fact-checkghana.com
The former General Manager of Akonta Mining Limited, Mr. Edward Akuoko, has made startling revelations… Read More
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has seized and frozen assets valued at more… Read More
The Member of Parliament for Salaga South, Hon. Zuwera Mohammed lbrahimah, has commended the Minority… Read More
The former General Manager of Akonta Mining Company Limited, Edward Akwasi Akuoko, has admitted that… Read More
The Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has advised his colleague, Kwame… Read More
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has strongly condemned the attack on the National… Read More