The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has completed strategic regional engagements with regions and districts to collate their development plans for incorporation into the Consolidated National Development Plan (CNDP) for 2025–2029.
The CNDP, which will serve as the government’s development blueprint for the next four years, is expected to be completed and launched in September this year on the theme: “Resetting Ghana Agenda: Creating Jobs, Securing Accountability and Promoting Shared Prosperity.”
The plan forms part of efforts to harmonise planning processes and ensure that national development priorities reflect the needs and aspirations of all regions.
Addressing the media, the Chairman of the NDPC, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, underscored the importance of inclusive and balanced development, stressing that national planning must avoid the concentration of resources in selected areas at the expense of others.
He noted that development was a collective responsibility that required strong institutions, effective policies and adherence to societal values.
Dr Thompson expressed concern over the longstanding gap between planning and implementation, stating that many well-crafted plans had failed to yield the expected results due to weak execution and lack of accountability.
He disclosed that the Commission had begun close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Parliament to enforce the “no plan, no budget” policy, ensuring that institutions receive funding only after their plans have been vetted and aligned with national priorities.
Dr Thompson also highlighted challenges in spatial planning, describing increasing disorder in urban development, including the proliferation of informal car sales on pavements and open spaces.
According to him, such practices contribute to congestion, environmental degradation and a culture of indiscipline, ultimately undermining development efforts. He, therefore, called for the establishment of designated auto zones and stricter enforcement of land-use regulations.
Touching on key development constraints, Dr Thompson cited inefficiencies in the water and electricity sectors as major impediments to economic growth. He revealed that water losses had increased despite efforts to reduce them, raising concerns about accountability within state institutions.
Dr Thompson urged sector leaders to refocus on their core mandates to improve service delivery.
The Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, in a presentation, outlined the objectives of the strategic engagements and the process for preparing the CNDP.
She explained that the Commission was mandated under the 1992 Constitution to advise the President on development planning and coordinate the decentralised planning system across all levels of government.
Dr Amoah indicated that the current medium-term policy framework (2026–2029) is anchored on five key dimensions: economic development, social development, environment and infrastructure, governance and institutional development, and international relations.
She noted that priority programmes under these dimensions include initiatives in job creation, digital transformation, infrastructure expansion, environmental restoration and social protection.
Dr Amoah emphasised that planning remains a critical requirement for performance assessment, monitoring and financial accountability.
She said regions, districts and institutions are expected to prepare credible plans that reflect local needs while aligning with national policy frameworks.
According to her, the regional engagements also provided an opportunity to gather inputs from stakeholders, including traditional authorities, civil society and the private sector, to ensure broad national consensus and ownership of the development agenda.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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