President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday inaugurated the eighth National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), tasking the body with creating a unified long-term national development plan that transcends political cycles.
The President invoked the legacy of Ghana’s first leader, Kwame Nkrumah, emphasising the need for a visionary approach to break free from the country’s dependence on primary commodities.
“Nearly 70 years after independence, our economy continues to rely heavily on a narrow range of primary commodities, with limited diversification and value addition,” President Mahama stated.
“This reality reflects the persistence of structural constraints that continue to hold us back—proof that, in many respects, we remain ‘prisoners of our past.’”
He highlighted the existence of several long-term development frameworks, including the Ghana Beyond Aid Charter, the Ghana@100 Long-term Development Framework, and the Vision 2057 Perspective Framework.
The President urged the NDPC, now chaired by Dr Nii Moi Thompson—who led the development of the 40-Year National Development Plan in 2017—to consolidate these efforts into a single, coherent national plan.
“This must be done in close collaboration with Parliament and the people’s representatives,” he stressed, underlining the importance of inclusivity and broad national consensus.
He added that the resulting plan should be subject to regular review to remain responsive to evolving domestic and global challenges.
President Mahama underscored the NDPC’s vital role in preparing the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies, which must be submitted to Parliament within two years.
“This programme will reflect not only the vision and policy priorities of this government but also the collective aspirations of the Ghanaian people,” the President stated.
He further noted that this Coordinated Programme would form the basis of the next medium-term national development policy framework, guiding the work of ministries, departments, agencies, and local assemblies over the next four years.