Youth in Afforestation Program beneficiaries directed to exit office by govt
Beneficiaries of the Youth in Afforestation Program (YAP), a key employment initiative under the former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, and managed by the Forestry Commission, have been disengaged by the incumbent government.
In a letter addressed to the beneficiaries on February 28, 2025, shared by Assase news and sighted by GhanaWeb, it announced that all beneficiaries would cease to be employed under the initiative as of March 31, 2025.
The letter explained that this directive resulted from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ decision to phase out the Youth in Afforestation/Reforestation project.
“Reference is made to letter with reference no. FC 6/170/01 dated February 27, 2025, received from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) concerning the phasing out of the Youth in Afforestation/Reforestation Project (YAP).
“This is to notify you that in line with Article 27 of the Collective Agreement for non-management Staff, Management regrets to inform you that you are hereby disengaged from the YAP with effect from March 31, 2025,” the letter stated.
Beneficiaries have also been instructed to hand over all properties in their possessions from the commission to their respective district managers.
“You are, therefore, requested upon receipt of this letter, to hand over all Forestry Commission’s property in your possession to the District Manager who is to ensure your exit by March 31, 2025,” the letter continued.
These managers have been tasked with ensuring that beneficiaries comply with the new directive and vacate their positions by the set deadline.
Additionally, the management of the program has been instructed to deactivate the beneficiaries’ names from the commission’s database, effective March 31, 2025.
“Management is accordingly advised to deactivate your name from the YAP beneficiary database system (YAMIS) with effect from March 31, 2025,” it added.
Meanwhile, the management of the Forestry Commission has assured of its commitment to settling outstanding allowances owed to beneficiaries.
The Youth in Afforestation program, launched in 2018 by the former NPP government, and state-funded, employed several young people specifically to help restore the country’s forests.
The beneficiaries were tasked with rehabilitating degraded and deforested landscapes nationwide, as well as supporting forest protection and management operations.
Read the full letter below:
MAG/AE
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