The new Leadership of Ghana Institute of Planning
Ghana Institute of Planning (GIP) is urging the leadership of national political parties to adopt, incorporate, and make use of the Institute’s position document (designed by professionals in the field) into their manifestos ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections to bring great relief, growth, and prosperity to the nation of Ghana.
The document titled: “Position Paper on the Manifestoes of Political Parties for the 2024 Presidential Elections” was signed by the President of (GIP), Pln. Percy Anaab Bukari (FGIP).
The position paper covers three main areas: a) Human Settlement, Environment, and Infrastructure Development; b) Social Development; and c) Economic Development. Accordingly, the Institute emphasizes the need for political party manifestos to reflect purposeful intents and strategies to address economic challenges, improve social development, implement sustainable human settlement and environmental practices, and ensure the continuity of infrastructure projects beyond political manifestos.
About Ghana Institute of Planning
The Ghana Institute of Planning (GIP), an internationally recognized body of professional planners and the lead institution for promoting high standards of professional planning practice and advocacy in Ghana has authored a well-thought-through position document to guide national political parties in the preparation of their manifestos for the 2024
According to GIP, they want the various political parties to prioritize their input when drafting Manifestoes to address key development and spatial planning issues in the country to help create a prosperous and resilient nation.
Background
Over years of limited consensus on the adoption of a long-term national development plan as the framework for national policy formulation and implementation, Ghana’s development has faced numerous setbacks. Policies in Ghana are mostly short-to-medium-term, and their implementation ends with the term of office of the Executive.
The vision of “transforming Ghana from a lower middle-income country to a high-income one by 2057, with correspondingly high levels of social development and strong and responsive institutions” will be meaningful if a long-term national development plan is put in place. The absence of a longterm approach to national development has resulted in several development challenges in the country.
Urgently, the Institute supports the need for reform to give the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) more constitutional powers to lead long-term national development planning in Ghana, which will serve as a guide for political parties in prioritizing aspects of the plan as the basis for their manifestos going into national elections.
Thematic areas
The position of GIP covers three main thematic areas for the consideration of the political parties that would contest this year’s general election.
I. parties’ manifestos to concretely outline strategies for effective implementation of spatial planning regulations, environmental policies, promoting urban green and blue infrastructure, protecting forest reserves, and improving urban transportation, as contained in the document,
II. parties’ manifestos to emphasize the importance of social development, with particular focus on education, political and institutional arrangements, health, housing, water and sanitation, and political will to implement social development issues,
III. parties’ manifestos to provide concrete guidance on addressing economic challenges, promoting sustainable job creation, and supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
Ghana Institute of Planning (GIP) is calling on the political parties to reflect and strategize on these plans to address economic challenges, improve social development, and implement sustainable human settlement and environmental practices.
