Search
Close this search box.
GBC
GHANA WEATHER

Increase District Common Fund Allocation for PWDs- Expert

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest

Chief Executive of Ghana Union Assurance, who is an advocate of the welfare of persons with disability, Aretha Duku has lauded government for the increase in the District allocation of the common fund for PWD’s from two percent to three percent. She said the fund if use, will induce business interest in PWD’s which will provide livelihood to them.

In Ghana, there are about 2.8 million persons with some form of disability, of this number more than 80 percent are unemployed.

Despite the 12- year- old disability act, which seeks to ensure their full inclusion in all areas of society, persons with special needs still face significant isolation. The situation is rampant on the job market.

Although the District Assembly Common Fund was increased to three percent for persons with disability, there are concerns that the funds are not properly disbursed to support them.

To address these concerns, a career fair was organized for persons with disability. Although government is largely responsible for the support of persons with disability, some private sector players are willing to complement this effort. But, the challenge remains with the skill and competence of the physically-challenged persons, to enable them to grasp the opportunities in the private sector.

At a Career Fair for Persons with Disability in Accra, Ms Duku said private and public businesses need to be sensitised to the competence level of PWDs.

she added that, “the private enterprise federation and the Ghana Federation of disability persons has been collaborating on the issues of disability employment which has recently consolidated in to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations, this move is to create a collaborative platform were businesses can be engage on issues of disability to make the work more accommodating and inclusive for person’s with disability as they form a new part in the nations human resource.”

Also the involvement of businesses and other private sectors are supporting the Government effort in creating sustainable income opportunities for PWDs.

Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gifty Twum Ampofo, urged parents to educate children with disability to enable them to be self-sufficient. She appealed to the public to desist from stigmatizing PWDs but rather engage in advocacy.Also she calls on PWD’s organizations to come under one umbrella for easy accessibility of data.
Certificates of recognition were given to businesses who have helped in creating employment avenues for persons with disability.
Story by:Maryam Hassan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT