NDPC holds regional consultation on MTNDPF 2022 - 2025

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) on Monday opened a two-day regional consultation workshop on a successor policy framework for the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF 2018-2021).

The successor policy (MTNDPF 2022-2025) when finalised, would define the country's development priorities over a four-year period, from 2022 to 2025.

Dr. Michael Kusi Appiah, Deputy Director for Policy at the NDPC speaking on behalf of the NDPC Director-General, noted that the successor policy framework had become necessary as the implementation of the current policy on the theme: "An Agenda for Jobs: Creating Prosperity and Opportunities for All" would end in 2021.

He explained that the goals and objectives of the Medium-Term plan were derived from the Ghana @100 long-term goals.

He said the processes leading to the development of the new policy started in September 2020 and involved among other things the identification of development challenges to be addressed, as well as to propose objectives and strategies to be implemented over the four-year period.

He noted that due to the impact of COVID-19 on the country, the NDPC had deemed it necessary to include an emergency preparedness plan in the successor policy.

“I am sure we all agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us in various ways and has alerted us to the urgent need for emergency preparedness.

“Hence a whole dimension of the emergency planning and preparedness, which details a COVID-19 recovery framework, has been introduced in the MTNDPF, 2022- 2025,” Dr Appiah said.

He noted that the purpose of the consultation was to create awareness of the development priority areas of the country and to solicit input regarding the development priorities of the country for the successor policy framework.

Dr. Appiah said the consultation was also to ensure government ownership, adequate resource allocation and effective implementation of the plan.

Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, noted that the Region was confronted with socio-economic challenges such as unemployment and limited access to social services among others.

He expressed the hope that the outcome of the consultation and the final development plan would help address those development challenges.

Mr Ibrahim Musah, Policy Analyst at the NDPC, in a presentation of a survey conducted by the NDPC towards the development of the policy, observed that some communities were faced with the challenge of access to healthcare services, potable water and hoarding of subsidised farm imputes meant for smallholder farmers.

On health, for instance, he explained that the delay in reimbursement of fund to facilities under the National Health Insurance Scheme was a serious challenge, leading to a threat by those facilities to return to the cash and carry system.

Mr Musah also observed that some districts were training Traditional Birth Attendants for some hard-to-reach communities as part of efforts to ensure access to primary healthcare services in those communities.

The successor development plan covered areas including agriculture, education, health, tourism and arts and corruption, accountability and good governance among others.