The representative of Akim Oda constituents in Parliament, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has stated on the floor of the House that the “YouStart” initiative proposed by government will reduce the spate of cyber crime in Ghana.
According to Mr. Akwasi Acquah, there are lots of youth in the country who are Information Communication Technology (ICT) savvy but negatively apply the knowledge they have, and that narrative the “YouStart” initiative comes to change.
In a report filed by the Daily Graphic on October 1, 2020, it is noted that over 11,000 cases of cyber crime have been recorded since 2019.
The cases recorded, according to the National Cyber security Advisor Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako is as a result of the beefing up of work of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Cyber crime Incident Reporting Points of Contact (PoC).
Both systems, CERT and PoC, are measures the National Cyber Security has adopted to fight the menace affecting major sectors of the economy. The latter was launched in 2019 by the Minister for Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, to facilitate information gathering on cyber crime incidents from the public.
Arguing how the rising cyber crime cases can be curbed, the MP alluded to the challenges faced in acquisition of start up capital saying “the average Ghanaian is someone who wants to be his own boss. Given the opportunity, we know how he would want to own his own business,” hence the provision of the capital to cushion the teeming youth in their efforts to start their own companies.
“The YouStart initiative is going to give them [the youth] opportunity for them to put themselves together so that we [government] grant them capital. This obviously will reduce cyber crime,” he said.
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta during his budget presentation to Parliament on November 17, 2021, said the initiative will see to the creation of some 1 million jobs with a seed money of GH₵1 billion.
The government “in partnership with finance institutions and development partners” will raise additional GH₵2 billion for the initiative, he added.
Mr. Akwasi Acquah arguing before the House why the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus should endorse the budget, said the one million jobs will be created in three years under the “Ghana Cares” programme.
The applicants will benefit from “training, funding and enterprise promotion”, he said.
