Yaw Osafo-Maafo
Senior minister-designate, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, says the 40-year national development plan to guide Ghana’s development agenda is not feasible.
According to him, a long-term plan for national development must not go beyond 10 years due to the whole “architecture of the world thinking and ideology.”
He said the country could effectively implement a 10 year- development plan.
Mr Osafo-Maafo, who was answering questions posed by members of the Vetting Committee of Parliament last Friday said, “I do not believe in planning beyond 10 years, because of the stringency of world economics, and therefore I would prefer that we restrict ourselves to a 10-year development plan.
He said there is no developed country in the world that plans beyond 10 years, stating that thinking in terms of 40 years is just too long and problematic.
“For anybody to think about a 40-year development plan when you have governments coming in centre right and centre left and that kind of thing is not practical, because the people who mount this plan matter in their ideology and in their thinking.
“Therefore there is no point drawing a plan which will be altered when a different party comes to power. So we must do a plan within a period which is likely to be sustained. That is why I think of 5 to 10 years,” he said.
Gov’t To Review Plan
Mr. Osafo-Maafo said the government will take a second look at the plan, and in consultation with the National Development Planning Committee (NDPC) review the plan to make it practical for the nation’s development.
“We will look at the 40-year-plan; it is important that every country like Ghana gets a long-term plan, particularly with respect to infrastructure, so that there will be continuity. So we will definitely look at it and where modifications are necessary, we’ll make it after going through,” he said.
“I believe in consultation so we will talk to the originators of the plan and ensure a full change.”
The former NDC government, led by John Mahama, in August 2015, launched a 40-year National Development Plan for Ghana (2018-2057), to provide a framework for national development which is binding on successive governments.
The 40-year development plan was born out of the recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission of 2010.
By Cephas Larbi
