I will reduce ministers to 40 - Nduom declares

Presidential nominee of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has declared that a government led by him will be run with only forty (40) ministers.

The forty, he explained, will also include deputy ministers and regional ministers.

According to Dr. Nduom, a PPP-led administration will rely mostly on professional civil and local servants to ensure an efficient administration. This measure, he explained will make government efficient and help raise revenue to pay public sector workers well.

The PPP standard bearer made the announcement when he addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters at Asylum down Accra, during which he out doored the party’s Presidential Policy Team (PPT).

He said the PPT was another step by which the PPP was demonstrating to Ghanaians its unique brand of politics which focuses on what they can do differently to change the dwindling fortunes of Ghana for the better.

The PPP Presidential Policy Teams, Dr. Nduom disclosed, have been formed around the following important agenda items that also represent priority areas for a future PPP administration.

He stressed that the teams will be convened by the Team Leaders to engage in research, analysis and detailed policy preparation for the consideration of the National Committee of the Party prior to the December 7, 2016 elections.

National Policy Advisor, Mr. Kofi Asamoah-Siaw, will serve as the Convener for the PPT while Mr Ladi Nylander heads the key policy area of job creation and domestic enterprise development, Dr. Nduom revealed.

The main objective of the PPT, he said, will be to recommend how a PPP administration should implement “our priority policies including funding and human resources considerations.

The PPP flag-bearer noted that members of the PPTs will speak for the party’s presidential candidate and the party in their areas of expertise.

Aside from the out-dooring of the PPT, the party also unveiled eleven thematic areas it will tackle to fast track the transformational development of the country.

The areas included: Constitutional Reforms & Good Governance, Public Sector Reforms, Preventable Diseases, Compulsory & Universal Education, Agriculture & Food Security as well as Financing Energy.

The rest are Economic Infrastructure, Sports, Domestic Enterprise Development, Women’s Enterprise Development and Technology.

In the estimation of Dr. Nduom, the outdoing of PPT by PPP was ample proof that the party’s brand of politics was unique, exceptional and just what Ghanaians need to give them hope and confidence.

“This is to show to the Ghanaian public that PPP have available, qualified and experience men and women we will offer as part of an all-inclusive team to take charge of Ghana in January 2017 and make it a better nation for all its citizens,” he indicated.

“Unlike other political parties such as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP), we have already made public our Policy Document that clearly sets out our reform agenda and job creation strategy.

While others are busying about launching campaigns and running around the country making promises they know very well they cannot keep, the PPP is strategising and doing research on what to do when in power to make our country great and strong with a prosperous people,” he intoned.

According to the Dr. Nduom, the PPP believes in broad-based human progress that is felt by the people.

“Unlike others who have made us poor by bad governance practices and a leadership prepared to accept less than what our God-given, abundant natural resources must provide. Our orientation and core beliefs about the world we live in are progressive,” he added.

He said under a PPP government, Ghana will move from a third world nation to a first world nation by working with a great sense of duty and urgency within one generation.

This, he stressed, is the more reason the PPP has created the PPT to prepare the grounds now “so that we will be ready to take off when given the nod come January, 7, 2017 to work for Ghana from the blast of the whistle.”