The Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Cooperation, Paa Kwesi Nduom, has maintained that the Ghana Vision 2020 document was a long-term development, which could not be a basis for the current development process.
According to The Ghanaian Times, Dr Nduom, in a letter to the paper reacting to Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, the former holder of the portfolio, said his reaction was to clarify the issues he (Nduom) had raised for the avoidance of doubt.
“I am glad that Mr Ahwoi has found it necessary to react to the story in the “Ghanaian Times’ of Friday, November 16, 2001 “Vision 2020 replaced”. Perhaps, the headline used for the story was not on target. However, the content of the story was fairly consistent with what I presented at the Greater Accra Regional Consultation Seminar last Thursday, November 15, 2001.
For the avoidance of doubt, and for the benefit of your readers, I wish to clarify the points made at the seminar as follows.
The Ghana Vision 2020 is a long-term development plan, which cannot be used as a basis for our current development process for a number of reasons. The inability to meet most of the key targets for its first 5 years of implementation, made it necessary for the present government to understand why the targets were not met. It is our intention at the very least to revise the long-term development plan. So to all intents and purposes, the Ghana Vision 2020 is a dormant long-term development strategy that is not in use.
The government of President Kufuor, intends to prepare a long-term development plan. This plan will incorporate the vision of the current government, the present economic realities, the anticipated efforts of current policies and lessons learnt from the implementation of the First Step of Vision 2020 (1996-2000).
When this long-term development plan is ready, it will be presented to parliament as required by the Constitution. The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy is a medium term development plan. The GPRS will be incorporated into the long-term plan.”
Dr Nduom’s letter to the Times contained further that a comparison of the Vision 2020 and its related documents with the annual budgets (1996-2000) clearly shows a lack of harmony or linkages and that it is also clear that the Ghana Vision 2020 did not have adequate financing.
“These are technical facts. Therefore, I am disappointed that Mr Ahwoi chose to bring politics into his letter,” Dr Nduom wrote.
