July 5, 2017
In an effort to provide sustainable jobs for Persons with Disability (PWDs), 200 job slots have been allocated to PWDs to man road toll booths across the country.
Out of the figure, 72 physically challenged persons have been employed, with an additional 120 to be engaged soon by the Ghana Highway Authority to man the toll booths.
The move forms part of the Persons with Disability (PWDs) Road Toll Initiative rolled out by the Ministry of Road and Highways.
According to the 2010 Housing Population Census, PWDs make up three percent of the nation’s 27.9 million population.
At the launch of the initiative at Pobiman toll booth between Accra and Nsawam, Mr Kwasi Amoako Attah, Minister of Road and Highways, explained that the Ministry desires to reserve at least a 50 percent quota in all contracts in respect of manning toll booths for PWDs.
The 50 percent quota represents a total of 200 slots but expressed optimism that it would increase over time, adding that the initiative was to help in effectively integrating PWDs into the job market.
Yaw Ofori Debrah, President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), commended the government for the initiative.
He described it as historic for PWDs considering that successive governments paid lip service to their plight.
“PWDs in the past pushed for some quota of jobs, but it yielded no results, and so we will commend the Ministry for the support,” he said.
Over 250 applications were received, out of that number 172 availed themselves for interviews from which 72 were selected for the first phase of the project.
By: ADR Daily Newsdesk
