The Business for Job (Biz4Jobs) initiative, introduced by the German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK) under the auspices of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), has come to an end successfully with a total investment of €1million.
The project – which started at the peak of the COVID-19 era to address investment barriers, execute market research, and offer individualised support – resulted in the creation of decent and sustainable jobs, according to its partners.
To mark the end of the programme, a joint delegation from the partners held a review to officially draw down the curtains on the Biz4Jobs. It brought together various stakeholders to discuss the successes chalked by businesses that benefitted from it as well as the way forward.
Head of Competence Centre, Private Sector Development and Projects, at the German Industry and Commerce in Ghana, Stefanie Simon, in her remarks at the event, indicated that the delegation has helped various private sector industries in the country grow and hire young Ghanaians.
Implemented under the GIZ special initiatives on decent work for a just transition, the delegation teamed up with companies to create good jobs and training opportunities in the eight partner-countries.
Cluster Coordinator and Head of Special Initiative for Training and Jobs, GIZ, Gerald Guskowski, mentioned that Germany and Ghana have long-standing bilateral relations, and that German firms and corporations are confident in making investments in the country. In addition to this, he said the European nation is committed to human resource development as well as supporting businesses with technical expertise to scale up and be sustainable.
“Ghana is a very democratic and peaceful country with dynamic resources that present a lot of potential. In terms of private sector development, the country has a very open policy that supports foreign investors; so German firms are very confident when coming to do business in Ghana, hence, the commitment to ensuring the sustainability of businesses.
“We have been targetting private sector industries that have a lot of growth potential and there are a lot of such in Ghana. We are, therefore, working with key partners to develop the private sector,” he said.
He mentioned that the German Government’s Special Initiative Programme that is providing business support would end in 2025, but the government is planning a new phase which will extend beyond the deadline.
The Special Initiative Programme has a target of providing essential business assistance to, at least, 1,500 private sector jobs by 2025, and the team is optimistic about meeting their target, Mr. Guskowski indicated.
Agriculture and agro-processing sectors have been one of the main sectors that have benefitted from the project because of its potential and critical role in the country’s socio-economic development.
