Is Ghana’s National Development Planning Commission still relevant?

The Ghana National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) was established to provide a framework for national development, advising the President, preparing national development plans, coordinating policies, and monitoring implementation. However, over the years, the effectiveness of the NDPC in influencing Ghana's development direction has been questioned.

The main issue lies in the political system within which the NDPC operates, where every political party has its own manifesto, campaign promises, and flagship programmes. Once elected, the winning party treats its manifesto as its governing mandate, subordinating the national development agenda to its political agenda. As a result, development planning becomes adjusted to accommodate government priorities, with projects being renamed, abandoned, redesigned, or replaced.

The NDPC has acknowledged the effects of fragmented and largely unimplemented planning frameworks and policy discontinuity, which should prompt a discussion about the Commission's authority and independence required to perform its constitutional role. To address these challenges, Ghana should reconsider its relationship with political parties, Parliament, and local government.

Every party manifesto should demonstrate clear alignment with an agreed long-term national development framework, while Parliament should scrutinize this alignment before approving programmes and budgets. The Commission should report on departures from the national plan and explain their consequences. Furthermore, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies should be placed at the center of long-term development, with stronger planning departments, reliable revenue arrangements, capable leadership, transparent performance systems, and greater control over local priorities.

Brief written by urgent.news from Ghanaian Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.