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The Minister for Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, has urged the National Service Secretariat (NSS) to consider reducing the fee charged on private companies who request for NSS personnel.

This, she said, would encourage private companies to take on more NSS personnel to gain practical experience in readiness for the job market.

She gave the advice at a ceremony held by the National Communications Authority (NCA) during the launch of a programme to train its National Service Personnel this year.

Currently, the National Service Secretariat charges private organisations 20% of the service allowance on each National Service person.

National Service personnel receive an allowance of GH₵559 at the end of every month.

The private companies pay the allowance of the National Service person, and on top of that pay additional 20% of the allowance to the Service Secretariat.

This year, the 20% fee charged for each person will amount to GH₵1,341.6 at the end of the year.

This has scared most private institutions from taking more National Service personnel to train.

The NCA has increased its intake of National Service personnel from 31 to 170 this year, who will undergo a two-month training before they start work.

According to the acting Director-General of the National Communication Authority, Joe Anokye, the two-month training forms part of the key requirements of the NCA, which would keep the service personnel updated.

“The training by the NCA will mould them to deliver for Ghana and the corporate world. Twelve out of the 170 will be selected and trained in cyber security. This will change their lives and they will be able to excel after service,” he added.

The 170 service personnel will undergo a two-month training to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to be used in the corporate world after their service.

Deputy Executive Director of NSS in charge of Finance and Administration, Gifty Oware-Aboagye, advised the service personnel to take advantage of this opportunity to learn so they can give back to the society.

“We hope the National Service personnel bring up successful stories after their service and the NCA consider employing some of them after their service.”

She also urged other corporate institutions to emulate the NCA in training the service personnel.