Political Parties have shared ideas towards the planned national consultation of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) that would provide a platform for distinguished individuals and organisations to share ideas on the 40-year development framework.
Representatives from the National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party, Progressive People’s Party, People’s National Convention, Great Consolidated Popular Party, and Convention People’s Party, shared the ideas at a workshop organized by the Commission.
[contextly_sidebar id=”R2p3FYizlRkFO4HOfQ2XHW3DF162ry9e”]The national consultation followed the launch of the process by President John Dramani Mahama.
The consultations would start in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital from August 13 to 14, continue at the other Regional Capitals and finally end in the Greater-Accra Region on December 18.
Representatives of the political parties who contested the last elections would be part of the Commission, to hold discussions with a cross-section of Ghanaians on various dimensions of development, including economic, social, and political that should be considered in the development framework.
Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Chairman of the NDPC, said the Commission would give the consultation the greatest importance to get the commitment of the Political Parties and Ghanaians in general, so that the long-term development framework would stand the test of time.
He said representatives of the political parties were expected to be duly guided by the views and sentiments of Ghanaians on what they expected to find in the long-term development framework.
“At the end of the day, we will see some alignment of the messages in the field with the political parties’ manifestos”.
Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Director-General of the Commission, said the role of demography needed to be considered in a long-term national development planning, because by 2050 the population of Ghana, estimated at 27 million, would increase to 46 million.
He stressed that 90 percent of the population would be living in urban areas, which would have serious implications on the economy and social life of the people, hence the need to consider it now.
Dr Isaac Mensa-Bonsu, Head of Planning Coordination of the Commission, said the consultations would capture the views of Ghanaians with different platforms, including the social media, so that no idea was left out.
The political parties assured the Commission of their immense contributions in the national consultation, to ensure its success.
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Source: GNA