NPP manifesto should reflect in gov't programmes - JAK

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday urged Ministers of State to ensure that provisions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) manifesto were adequately reflected in whatever social and economic strategies and programmes that were drawn by the sector ministries and government.

He said the social and economic strategies should concentrate more on infrastructure development because there would be no creation of wealth without massive investment in infrastructure. "We will not reduce poverty without good infrastructure," adequate infrastructure", President Kufuor said in an address at a one-day Ministerial Workshop on National Vision organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.

"Indeed, our rural areas will not gain access to good health care, roads, better education and other social amenities without," he added. The workshop, also attended by officials from the NDPC, the private sector and NGOs, would in addition discuss the government's vision for the country geared towards the provision of a strong foundation from which the economy and society would achieve significant growth and development over the long-term.

It is also envisaged that the society should be able to raise the average income per capita level from 300 dollars to 1,000 dollars by 2010. President Kufuor reiterated his call for teamwork among the Ministers, saying, "as we gather to refocus and sharpen our vision, let us acknowledge that a team functions better when it has a shared vision, a common agenda and a single direction".

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration, who is also Chairman of the NDPC, said the low level of development in the country could be attributed to ineffective leadership, which lacked an enduring vision, misguided policies and weak implementation of policies and programmes.

He said others were political instability through military coups and economic immaturity as a result of the reliance on primary products and low productivity.