Prez Mahama swear-in NDPC governing Board

President John Dramani Mahama on Monday said plans were far advanced to migrate the Economic planning sector of the Ministry of Finance to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

The move, President Mahama said, would give meaning to the Commission to carry out long-term planning programmes for the development of the country.

President Mahama announced this when he swore-in a 34-member NDPC governing Board at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.

The Board, which is chaired by Professor Kwesi Botchwey, who is also the Chairman of the Commission, are mandated to draw up a long-term development plan for various governments to catapult the country's development needs in the coming years.

President Mahama said the Board was under Article 36(5) of the 1992 constitution and would advise government on development planning policies that would survive in succeeding years.

He said there was the need for a National Development Planning that would transcend various regimes to allow for continuity of programmes initiated by out-going governments.

President Mahama pledged to work on the challenges that might emanate from the integration of the Economic Planning and National Development Planning Commission to make it vibrant in performance.

He said the people of Ghana were quite expectant on the development plans of government and he would do everything within his purview to articulate the plans into reality.

Professor Botchwey on behalf of other members expressed gratitude for giving them the opportunity to serve on the NDPC Board and gave the assurance that they would do everything possible to achieve the objectives of the board.

He said the board would collaborate effectively with civil society organizations and Think Tanks to enforce the National Development Planning that would serve the country for longer years.