The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has launched yet another, long-term national development perspective, designed to improve the living standards of Ghanaians and attain an upper middle-income status by 2057.
The framework, titled, “Vision 2057” addresses critical transformation factors, with a framework objective of fostering attitudinal culture change for sustainable social cohesion, peace, and security, as well achieving and sustaining macro-economic stability.
The document focuses on effective and efficient public service, institutional strengthening, human capital development, science/technology innovation, land reform, sustainable infrastructural development, and transitioning towards clean, affordable, and sustainable energy.
Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante, Chairman of the erstwhile Committee of Experts for the 1992 Constitution, launched the document in Accra.
He observed that multi-party democratic system and the lack of stable institutional framework for long -term development plan were threats to the implementation of Vision 2057, citing in particular constant change of government through election cycles and administrative change.
According to him, “A multi-party approach is imperative for the achievement of long-term goals and even medium-term development programmes…“Under our brand of multi-party politics where competitive manifestos are dominant and policies and programmes initiated in one administration are abandoned by another, long-term development goals may be elusive”.
“Ultimately, appropriate constitutional amendments might have to be made to ensure a stable development planning regime, which would not permit deviation,” he said.
The document entails a review and synthesis of previous development strategy documents, including the long-term National Development Plan (2018 -2057), commonly referred to as the 40-Year Plan, the Ghana100, the Ghana’s Vision 2020 and the First Step (1996) Vision.
It also consists of the coordinated “Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2021-2025)” and the “Ghana Beyond Aid Charter and Strategy” document, among others.
Prof George Gyan-Baffour, Chairman of the NDPC, indicated that various stakeholder consultations were to review and validate the document, including engagements with selected Civil Society organisations, professional bodies and associations. “In addition, a National Development Summit was organised to solicit further inputs, among which political parties.
He said the Commission had come to the conclusion that rigid plans, prescribing projects, programmes, and actions would not survive under the current political dispensation. “In that case, if the Commission decides to prescribe those things, then there is always a conflict between what we have described and prescribed and what the parties in power intend to do so,” he said.
Mr. Mohammed Alhassan Damba, former president of the Ghana Institute of Planning, charged the NDPC to break down and disseminate the document for the understanding and buy-in of every Ghanaian.
