The Steering Committee of the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) has called on implementing agencies and stakeholders to deepen their commitment as the project prepares for intensified implementation in 2026.
The call was made at the project’s second and final Steering Committee meeting for the year, held at Peduase in the Eastern Region, to approve the 2026 budget and work plan, audit reports and other statutory documents.
The meeting also reviewed implementation challenges and proposed measures to ensure smoother delivery in the coming year.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. David Klottey Collison, Chairman of the PSDPEP Steering Committee, described progress so far as encouraging, despite early administrative setbacks.
He expressed confidence that implementation would improve significantly in 2026 with stronger stakeholder engagement.
“The project has barely two years to conclude, which means a lot of hard work must be done next year so that by 2027 we are only rounding off on a good note,” he said.
PSDPEP is a five-year initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with counterpart support from the Government of Ghana.
The project seeks to support Ghana’s socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through human capital development, livelihood restoration, productivity enhancement and private-sector growth. Implementation began in 2023 and is expected to end in 2027.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Abbas Nurudeen, Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), the implementing agency, said the project had reached an appreciable level of implementation, with notable infrastructure and capacity-building achievements.
He cited the rehabilitation of four Ghana News Agency (GNA) offices in Accra, Tema, Tamale and Takoradi as key deliverables currently underway.
According to him, rehabilitation of the GNA Head Office in Accra was about 80 per cent complete and would soon move to the equipment installation phase, while works at the Tema office are also at an advanced stage.
Mr. Nurudeen said contracts had been awarded for research centres at the University of Ghana, alongside the award of scholarships in biomedical and biotechnology fields.
He added that the microcredit component of the project, aimed at supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), had commenced disbursements.
Mr. Nurudeen stressed that approval of the 2026 budget was crucial to maintaining momentum.
“Now that the budget has been approved, all the bottlenecks are cleared for us to take the project to higher heights next year,” he said, urging stakeholders to give critical attention to their respective components.
Also addressing the meeting, Mr. Alex Awuah, Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank, commended the project’s impact on small and medium-sized businesses.
He disclosed that GH¢52 million had so far been disbursed to beneficiaries through rural banks and participating financial institutions.
Mr. Awuah said steps had been taken to improve loan recovery following initial challenges, noting that recovery rates had reached about 70 per cent, against a target of 90 per cent.
