The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) in collaboration with the Energy Commission has held the 17th Electrical Wiring Certificate Awards Presentation Ceremony in Takoradi for electricians in the Western Region on the theme, “Supporting U-start, Building, and Empowering Entrepreneurs.”
The ceremony seeks to empower the youth in electrical installation and find innovative ways to create job opportunities for graduating graduates.
Mr Isaac Yankson, Deputy Director of Trade and Industry for the Western Region said it was worthy to note that the Ministry is also in constant collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Commission to support the energy needs of industry especially those under the 1D1F initiative.
He said successes chalked in this issue were the supply of transformers to the 1D1F promoters even at the beginning of the building of their factories, throughout the installations of machines and the final operation of these factories.
He added that the Ministry wishes to consistently link the country’s energy sector to these industries so that their operations would be incessantly sustained for the benefit of securing jobs and expanding industrial development.
He said MoTI would consistently work with the Energy Commission to bring affordable and reliable energy supply to industry, especially green energy technologies needed to reduce the cost of energy supply.
He said it was important to note that building the capacities of the youth in electrical wiring had come at the right time when the continent initiated the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which is a trading block for Africa’s 54 countries with a population of 1.3 billion, with a combined GDP of USD$ 3.4trillion.
Mr Yankson indicated that trade in services was one of the key programs under the AfCFTA and expected to take the form of the four modes of supply under the World Trade Organization (WTO) concept.
These four modes of supply are Cross Border Trade, Consumption Abroad, Commercial Presence and Presence of Natural Persons.
Mr Adolf Nii Ashong, Manager, Electricity and Natural Gas Directorate of the Energy Commission said the theme was an indication of how the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Commission were laying notable emphasis on working within the regulated standards.
He said the ceremony was critical to ensure that all training given to the electrical wiring graduates becomes fruitful and the services rendered also strictly regularized to provide secured electrical layouts for homes and other institutions where these services may be rendered.
Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah in an address read on his behalf said for the economy to continue delivering shared prosperity and fulfilling opportunities for work, it was essential that innovative ideas and new ways of working were constantly introduced and tested in the marketplace.
He commended the Energy Commission for passing the Electrical Wiring Regulations Law (L.I. 2008), and for its partnership in training professional artisans which have approximately produced 13,266 professionals, in the long run, to legally engage in professional electrical wiring and installation.
The Ghana Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2008) which was passed into law by the Parliament of Ghana aims at providing the framework to regulate professionals who engage in electrical wiring and installation works.
This, he said, was to ensure the safety of persons and other properties from hazards that arise from the presence, distribution and use of electrical energy.
He expressed the hope that participants/candidates have been presented with viable opportunities to enhance and refine their skills to ultimately generate income.
