NDPC Calls for Long-Term Development Plan Beyond Political Manifestos

Development planning expert Dr. Thompson has called for a shift from politically driven development agendas to a long-term national development framework that transcends electoral cycles and partisan interests.

Speaking on the country's development challenges, Dr. Thompson stressed that political manifestos are primarily political documents and should not be mistaken for comprehensive blueprints for national growth. According to him, Ghana can no longer afford to base its development agenda on short-term four-year plans linked to election cycles. He argued that the country needs a strategic long-term vision that clearly defines its future aspirations while addressing structural weaknesses that have hindered sustainable development over the years.

Dr. Thompson highlighted significant regional and socioeconomic disparities across the country, noting that population growth and economic opportunities remain heavily concentrated in one section of Ghana. He further pointed out that nearly 54 percent of the country's land area continues to experience severe economic and infrastructural deprivation.

To address these challenges, he advocated deeper political and economic decentralization. He dismissed concerns that devolving power and resources to local authorities would threaten national unity, insisting that greater decentralization would instead promote balanced development and inclusiveness.

"The real threat to national unity is not decentralization, but the continued concentration of resources and benefits in Accra while communities that generate those resources remain underdeveloped," he stated.

Dr. Thompson revealed that the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) is currently working on a Consolidated National Development Plan aimed at providing a comprehensive and long-term blueprint for Ghana's development.

The proposed plan is expected to serve as a national framework that can be adopted and implemented by successive governments regardless of their political affiliations, ensuring continuity in development policies and addressing longstanding regional inequalities.

Report by PKB