Political parties laud proposed long-term dev. plan

The six major political parties in the country, on Monday lauded the proposed long-term development plan initiated and being pursued by the National development Planning Commission (NDPC) to guide development processes.

They affirmed their commitment to work hand-in-glove with the NDPC to formulate the strategies that would address the country’s immediate challenges and long-term national expectations.

But some of them however, warned the Commission to guard against partisanship in preparations of the proposed 40-year national development plan, to sustain their interest in the national discourse.

The political parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP), People National Convention (PNC), Progressive People Party (PPP) and Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP).

Representatives of the parties gave the commendation when speaking at the opening session of the Brong-Ahafo Regional forum on the preparation of the long-term national development plan at Abesim, near Sunyani.

The NDPC, organisers of the forum, is collecting views from the general public towards the preparation of the plan, at the two-day forum being attended by Municipal and District Chief Executives, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organization and assembly members.

Dr William Ahadzie, Director of Research of the NDC, said the party acknowledged that over the last three decades, successive governments had implemented different policies that had taken the country from a low income to lower middle income status.

But, he noted that the efforts had been driven largely by policy choices that were regime-based and essentially disconnected from each other, making the growth and development of the country inconsistent and unsustainable.

This, Dr Ahadzie observed had contributed to the persistence of development challenges such as fiscal, energy deficits and infrastructure deficits, slow pace of implementation of decentralization programme, persistent of poverty and food insecurity, under-delivery of social services and continual environmental degradation, among others.

He was of the view that the adoption of sustainable development strategies that would promote policy consistency and the continuation of progress made by different regimes is the best way for the nation to move forward.

Dr Henry Herbert Lartey, the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the Great Consolidated People Party (GCPP), noted that it was possible for the country to develop such plan, which would spur economic growth and facilitate accelerated national development.

He said the GCPP had long conceived the concept of the development plan, but regretted that Ghanaians had not supported the party for some years now to make her dreams come true.

Dr Lartey emphasized that with domestication; the country could add value and export local produce, to earn enough foreign exchange needed for development.

Mr Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North constituency, who represented the NPP, noted that the country was haunted by persistent economic decline and stagnation, mass unemployment and a government drowning in nearly GH¢100 billion national debts.

He stated that the goal of the long-term development plan ought to help the country to reduce poverty, by increasing the rate of economic growth.

Mr Agyemang reiterated that the only way to increase the rate of economic growth was for a plan that would emphasise policies and institutions that encouraged individuals in the private sector to become more efficient and productive and to grow faster.

In this way, the MP noted that the private sector would expand production, increase employment, and pay higher wages and salaries.

“This is how the rich countries achieved high incomes for most citizens”, Mr Agyemang said stating that in the next four years the country must “fire up its citizens, unlock their talents, enforce the rule of law and moved quickly towards a liberalized economy that support free enterprise”.