The Member of Parliament for Effutu and Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the John Dramani Mahama administration of abandoning key initiatives introduced under the Akufo-Addo government, a move he says has worsened Ghana’s unemployment situation.
Speaking at the grand durbar, homecoming, and handing-over ceremony of the Asante Students Union at the University of Ghana, on Sunday, August 17, 2025, Afenyo-Markin said the scrapping of flagship policies such as the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme and related tax exemptions has discouraged investment and slowed job creation.
“More than one in every four Ghanaians wakes up each morning with no meaningful job to go to. Our overall unemployment rate is nearly 15%, according to official sources. When young people can’t find jobs, it is not just an economic problem; it becomes a threat to our national security in a region experiencing various forms of armed conflict,” he said.
He added that the discontinuation of 1D1F and the suspension of tax waivers that supported industries had “killed” opportunities for sustainable employment.
“This is what it means—when the government fails to create the right economic environment to inspire the creation of new jobs, young people must innovate to create their own. When leaders won’t build opportunities, the next generation of leaders must build them from scratch. The choice is simple: either we solve the unemployment crisis, or it will solve us in ways we won’t like,” he stressed.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin also raised concerns over the growing burden of unpaid loans, particularly under the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
“Over GH¢291 million loaned to small businesses through MASLOC remains unpaid after 12 years, as of February last year. In our banking sector, GH¢654 million vanished as bad debt in just five months this year.
“In the momo sector, people borrow and simply disappear into the digital darkness. This culture is a cancer eating at our economic soul,” he warned.
The Minority Leader urged the government to create a more business-friendly environment to support innovation, investment, and sustainable job creation.
