Minister of Railways Redevelopment, Joe Ghartey, says thousands of jobs are being created with the redevelopment of the railways.
He assured that more employment opportunities would be created when the redevelopment is completed.
The minister envisaged that the sector will create over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs to the teeming youth in the country.
Mr Ghartey said the idea was to help curb the unemployment situation in the country.
He mentioned that the Akufo-Addo government sees the rail sector as a strategic catalyst as it strives to set the country on the path of economic prosperity.
The rail minister was speaking at a durbar to climax a day’s familiarisation tour of the British Ambassador to Ghana, Iain Walker, and UK Prime Minister’s Trades envoy to Ghana, Adams Afriyie, to Sekondi-Takoradi at the rehabilitated Sekondi Train Station.
He indicated that currently some people were undergoing medicals in Takoradi as part of processes to get them employed in the sector.
“For the first time in many years the story of Ghana Railways is not about laying off workers but employment of new workers. As l speak we have commenced recruitment process with some people undergoing their medicals in Takoradi and very soon we will start employing people in Accra… so the railway sector has started creating jobs,” he disclosed.
He mentioned that within the month of November, rehabilitation woks on the Eastern lines will “start pretty soon to provide jobs to Ghanaians.”
He described as commendable the interest shown by the British government in the country’s rail sector.
Mr Ghartey insisted that his ministry was determined to see to the fulfillment of all targets it had set itself to achieve.
“It makes me happy that the UK has decided to join us once more to develop this sector… the United Kingdom together with the then Gold Coast, within five years built over 300 kilometres of rail from here [Sekondi] to Kumasi. I tell you that if we’re determined before 2020 we will connect the Western lines to Kumasi and that is the target,” he assured.
Story: From Simon Ahensah, ATV Takoradi, Western Region