The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has launched the Local Economic Development (LED) Policy (2024-2029) and implementation plan.
The revised LED Policy is aimed at promoting a conducive environment at the district level for sustained local business growth, decent employment opportunities and economic empowerment for all Ghanaians.
The policy also identifies eight objectives, 29 strategies and 124 activities for implementation over the period across the country.
It is also in response to goal eight of the Sustainable Development Goals which is to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all and the Africa Union Agenda 2063.
Guiding principles of the LED are leadership, public-private partnerships, collaboration, transparency and accountability, gender, equality, equity and inclusiveness, environmental sustainability amongst others.
Launching the policy in Accra yesterday, Mr Korsah, MP, Techiman South said the revised LED policy presented the opportunity for Ghana to build on the successes of the 2020 Policy and address the gaps.
According to him, LED, over the years had been regarded as a key function of local governments, specifically by creating an enabling environment to efficiently harness and utilise local resources for economic growth.
He expressed the hope that the revised policy would be used to promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
“I consider this Policy as responding to issues in the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2021-2025): Agenda for Jobs,” he said.
“Additionally, the new Policy is aligned to various Government Flagship Programmes such as the One District One Factory, Planting for Export and Rural Development, One Village One Dam, Planting for Food and Jobs initiatives as core deliverables of MMDAs to stimulate local economic development.”
He said the 2020 LED policy had recorded significant success where over 70,000 beneficiaries were reached as part of the Complementary Livelihood and Asset Support Scheme and over 37,000 temporary jobs created under the Labour-Intensive Public Works component with over GH¢89 million paid.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, said with the unavailability of white-collar jobs, the LED would come in handy to develop the local economy. He entreated the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to embrace the policy and develop their respective areas for the good of the people.