The Steering Committee of the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP) has called on implementing agencies and key stakeholders to deepen their commitment as the project prepares to deliver stronger outcomes in 2026.
The appeal was made during the project’s second and final Steering Committee meeting for the year, held at Peduase in the Eastern Region, where members approved the 2026 budget, work plan, audit reports and other statutory documents.
The meeting also reviewed implementation challenges and proposed measures to ensure smoother delivery in the year ahead.
Chairman of the Steering Committee, Mr David Klottey Collison, described the overall progress of PSDPEP as encouraging, despite initial administrative setbacks.
He expressed optimism that implementation would significantly improve in 2026, provided stakeholders remained fully engaged.
“The project has barely two years to conclude. That means a lot of hard work has to be done next year so that by 2027, we are simply rounding off on a strong and successful note,” Mr Collison said.
PSDPEP is a five-year development initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with additional support from the Government of Ghana.
The project aims to support Ghana’s socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by building human capital, restoring livelihoods, boosting productivity and promoting private-sector growth. It commenced in 2023 and is expected to end in 2027.
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.
He cited progress in infrastructure rehabilitation and capacity-building interventions.
He added that contracts had been awarded for the development of research centres at the University of Ghana, and that scholarships had been provided in biomedical and biotechnology fields.
The project’s microcredit component supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), he said, had also begun disbursing funds.
Mr Nurudeen stressed that approval of the 2026 budget was critical to maintaining momentum. “Now that the budget has been approved, all the major hurdles are out of the way to take the project to even greater heights next year,” he said, urging stakeholders to give due attention to their respective components.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of ARB Apex Bank, Mr Alex Awuah, commended PSDPEP’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 measures had been put in place to improve loan recovery following initial challenges, adding that recovery rates had reached nearly 70 percent, against a target of 90 percent.
