Accra: The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has urged the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to develop a system for publishing national employment data on a quarterly or half-yearly basis. He emphasized that regular employment statistics would provide an independent measure of the impact of government policies on job creation and help determine whether economic growth is translating into improved livelihoods for Ghanaians.
According to Ghana Web, the Minister made this call during the official handover of the former Ministry of Finance building to the Ghana Statistical Service in Accra. He highlighted that Ghana’s economic performance should not only be assessed through indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and inflation but also through the number of jobs being created. Dr. Forson expressed his desire for a future where the Government Statistician could announce employment numbers alongside GDP and inflation figures every quarter.
The Finance Minister stated that such data would allow the government, businesses, and citizens to better understand the state of the economy and evaluate the effectiveness of policy decisions. He tasked the GSS to develop a robust methodology to support the regular collection and publication of employment statistics. He noted that employment data would complement existing economic indicators and provide a clearer picture of Ghana’s economic progress.
The handover of the former Finance Ministry building is expected to enhance the operational capacity of the GSS as it continues to produce official statistics for national planning and policymaking.