National Development Plan Should Guide Party Manifestos – Economist

Economist Mr. Osei Kwaku Tuah has called for the enforcement of a national development plan that will compel political parties to align their manifestos with long-term national priorities, warning that the absence of such a framework has stalled Ghana’s development.

Speaking in an interview with Kofi Boakye on Nkwantannanso on Opemsuo Radio, Mr. Tuah said Ghana currently lacks a coherent development direction, despite having constitutional structures meant to provide one.

“Ghana actually has no direction it is following now,” he stated.

He explained that the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), as established by the Constitution, is mandated to design policies that define where the country should be. These policies, he noted, are supposed to serve as a blueprint for political parties.

“Thee NDPC is supposed to develop national policies outlining where Ghana wants to be in the short, medium and long term,” Mr. Tuah said.

According to him, the intention is for political parties to build their manifestos around this national framework rather than introducing independent promises that often end with a change of government.

“NFPC policies are supposed to be given to political parties, who are then expected to build their manifestos around them,” he explained.

However, Mr. Tuah lamented that this process is not being followed in practice, resulting in multiple abandoned and incomplete projects across the country.

“Each party comes up with its own manifesto and promises, which has led to many incomplete projects across the country,” he added.

He stressed that Ghana’s long-term goals, including industrialisation and economic transformation, cannot be achieved unless all governments are bound by a common development agenda.

“If we want to achieve industrialisation, there must be a national policy framework that all political parties are required to follow,” he said.