Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister, has urged industries to create employment for the country's youth and supplement government efforts to equip them with employable skills.
She made the call when some national executives of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) called on her at her office in Sekondi at the start of a two-day working visit to Sekondi-Takoradi.
Madam Horner-Sam said the government was doing its best to offer training and employment to the youth and the co-operation of industries was needed to achieve this.
She said the Arab Gulf Oil Company had acquired land at Pumpuni in the Ahanta West District to establish a oil refinery and the company had decided to re-settle residents of the village before construction works take off.
Mr Tony Oteng Gyasi, President of AGI, spoke of the economic benefits that the country was likely to ripe when the oil refinery was established adding the project could offer employment to about 2,500 people.
He urged the Western Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to seriously promote the project and asked industrialist to price their goods competitively when the project begins to ensure its success.
Mr Gyasi said a ban should be placed on the use of old warehouses and factory structures as churches to enable up and coming industrialists to make good use of them.
He said it was improper to use old warehouses and factory structures as churches when they could be rehabilitated and put to industrial use.
Mr Gyasi urged the Regional Coordinating Councils, ministries, departments and agencies to make their purchases from industries in their areas to make it possible for the industries to increase their production and create employment.
He said if there was dissatisfaction about the quality of products, they should inform the manufacturers and ensure that they improved upon them.
Mr Gyasi said the AGI was bent on the industrialisation of the country because development and employment would come about only through industrialisation.
He said the AGI was collaborating with tertiary institutions especially the Polytechnics that produce industrial manpower to equip students with industrial skills through vacation training and placement of students.
Other national executives of AGI present included Madam Leticia Opoku Addo, second vice chairperson and Mr Sammy Appenteng, treasurer.
Later, the AGI executives visited Takoradi Flour Mill, Amalgamated Bank, BMK Particle Board Limited, Rymacobb Enterprise and the Adjumakoman Press.