OUR VISION FOR

A peaceful, secure & prosperous nation, providing sustainable jobs through industralization for transformation. FOREWORD BY JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & LEADER OF THE NDC

As my first term as the President of the Republic of Ghana comes to an end, I have come to appreciate even more the potential of Ghana to provide prosperity and security to all its citizens. The journey so far has been worth the effort. We have been confronted with challenges but have achieved major successes.

With the blessings of the Almighty God and the in building robust infrastructure to stimulate support of the people of Ghana, I am confident economic growth. This has created jobs and we that my second and final term will move Ghana intend to create even more jobs. Addressing even closer towards the era of prosperity and unemployment and creating job opportunities will security that I have envisioned. I will continue to be at the core of my renewed mandate. work, together with the people of Ghana, to create With the renewed mandate I am seeking, we opportunities that will generate prosperity for all. will continue policies and programmes and This is what the Agenda for Transformation introduce new initiatives that are consistent signifies. This transformation entails moving away with our key social democratic principle of from over-reliance on commodity exports towards equitable development. We still have more roads diversification and value addition. All these have to construct, more houses to build, more food begun. They will be sustained and accelerated in to produce, additional educational and health the next four years. facilities to provide and more jobs to create. An integral part of the NDC’s Agenda for Indeed, these are also key demands of the global Transformation is our unwavering belief that compact encapsulated in the United Nations Ghana’s greatest wealth is its people. Our country Sustainable Development Goals, which we have will continue to rise as we focus a large part of agreed to uphold. our development effort on harnessing the skills, With the collaboration of the Bank of Ghana, we potentials and ingenuity of our people. There is will institute mechanisms that will significantly tremendous potential in the Ghanaian to create, lower the cost of credit and position the private innovate and transform our nation. sector to play its role in the Transformation Agenda. As leader of the NDC and Government, our policies, Already, and systematically, we are Changing Lives programmes and projects have been directed at and Transforming Ghana. putting people first, building a strong and resilient economy, expanding infrastructure for accelerated Indeed, I feel inspired by the success we have growth and jobs, and advancing transparent and achieved in the last four years. We can be proud of accountable governance. We have been vindicated, that record. We will sustain the transformation and as we have seen huge payoffs in terms of access we will make more progress. to education, health care and other social services. I have abiding faith in the people of Ghana and This has led to improved educational outcomes and in the future of our country. More importantly, I favourable health indices for our people. remain committed to the cause of making our We have undertaken, and in some instances nation greater and stronger. completed, major institutional reforms and built strong and viable institutions. We have invested God bless our Homeland!

INTRODUCTION

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) remains deeply committed to the principles and values of Social Democracy

As Social Democrats, we subscribe to a compassionate political philosophy that seeks to create opportunities for all to develop to their fullest potential. We believe that our pursuit of economic prosperity for all Ghanaians can best be achieved through appropriate regulation and strategic investments. We are therefore committed to using the legal, fiscal and trade instruments at our disposal, in an inclusive effort to safeguard the jobs of today and create the jobs of the future.

In our quest to build a sustainable society years our development priorities are: (a) putting with opportunities for all, we will continue people first, (b) building a strong and resilient to prioritize education and skills training as economy, (c) providing reliable infrastructure, the cornerstone to progress. We rededicate and (d) improving accountability in governance. ourselves to the expansion of economic freedom We believe we have succeeded in creating a and opportunity by providing incentives for better foundation for safe and secure conditions small businesses to grow, by encouraging local for national progress. community development and building the environment for domestic manufacturing to support job creation.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is committed to building a just and equitable Ours is an approach society in which citizens are empowered to seize on opportunities to improve themselves. We anchored in the fact believe that we can achieve more together than individually, hence our policies and programs are that Ghana’s human designed to make each one as empowered and resources are our productive as he or she can be. nation’s most valuable Ours is an approach anchored in the fact that Ghana’s human resources are our nation’s most assets. valuable assets. This explains why over the

6 | Putting People First is the expression of our relentless effort to invest in sectors of our Expanding Infrastructure is core to realizing society with the view of empowering our economic growth and boosting opportunities people through better educational systems for job creation. Our view is that in diverse ways and opportunities; providing reliable and a good infrastructure system has a positive dependable healthcare arrangements; ensuring impact on productivity. For instance, improved inclusiveness by protecting the most vulnerable roads facilitate private investment, improves in our society, thus creating reliable pathways access to markets for farmers by reducing for our youth to achieve their aspirations. transport costs, thus stabilizing jobs and Our approach to “Putting People First” involves income levels. The extension of electricity to overarching concerns with redistribution, poor households contributes to lower energy production, reproduction and protection; bills that support the expansion of cottage and synchronizes with our economic policy industries. Electricity is also critical for improved objectives in the pursuit of economic growth communication. Clean or potable water has and social progress. We have verifiable immense health benefits that contribute to the achievements in education, healthcare, social well-being of all, especially children. protection, gender empowerment and equality, In pursuit of our transformational agenda, we youth development and sporting opportunities have prioritized infrastructural expansion across as manifestations of our commitment. several sectors including roads, water supply systems, energy, transport and housing. It is an important economic incentive for both public and private operations. Strong and Resilient Economy represents As Social Democrats we view Infrastructural our desire to build an economy that provides development as a means to enhance a channel for human creativity that meets productivity, transportation and the aspirations of Ghanaians to work. It is an communication. illustration of our commitment to build an economy that nurtures and protects the young, the old and the vulnerable; an economy that is capable of dealing with major adversities such as climate change, while at the same Transparent and Accountable Governance time enhancing life for our people. As Social reflects our commitment to working to attain Democrats, we believe that economic growth is a society that encourages citizen participation important, however, growth alone is not enough in affairs of the State. It is our belief that to deliver jobs and fair incomes. Governments that derive their mandate from the people must not only work for and with the Our commitment to build a strong and resilient people, but must also be open and accountable economy therefore, is one that prioritizes to the people. Our pursuit of transparent decent and productive work for our people governance has opened up considerable space as a means of brightening the prospects for for Civil Society Organizations and Ghanaians poverty reduction and personal development. to actively engage in the policy debate, It is precisely because of this belief that we formulation and implementation processes. have actively incentivized various industries in the private sector not only to encourage the We belief that through participation we can, production of made in Ghana goods, but also to as a society and consistent with the norms of enlarge employment opportunities. To this end, democracy, achieve the best political outcomes beyond the continuous focus on maintaining that reflect the broad judgment of our people. prudent monetary and fiscal policies to attract investment, we will also continue to invest We remain committed to building a peaceful, heavily in agriculture, manufacturing and safe and inclusive society that respects the mining to provide support to the private sector. diversities of our nation. We will not renege on

| 7 our commitment to continuously promote the development providing health facilities, rule of law, the fight against corruption and educational opportunities, access to potable graft, tolerance, pluralism, national security water, investments in energy, expansion in and cohesion. In our view, public service telecommunications, transportation and imposes an obligation to work in the interest housing. We have thus set in motion the process our country. This is the reason for our quest to of ‘Changing Lives and Transforming Ghana’. use innovation and creativity to make public services responsive to the needs of the people from whom we derive our mandate. As a party, we seek a renewal of the mandate from the people to enable us extend our In the last four years, we have pursued the transformation agenda. This document provides pledge we made to Ghanaians, as anchored a record of our delivery and our commitment on the four pillars of our 2012 Manifesto. to the people of Ghana for a second term for We have achieved significant infrastructural President John Dramani Mahama.

8 | THEME ONE PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST In our new social compact that emphasizes our commitment to “Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana”, Putting People First means ensuring equitable access to quality education, quality health care delivery, preventive healthcare, harmonized social protection initiatives and empowering the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. We will also direct our energies to improving and diversifying sports.

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EDUCATION Feeding Programme quadrupled from about 440,000 in 2008 to 1.7 million in 2014.

We have introduced social interventions in the • Over 90,000 laptops have been distributed to education sector including the implementation basic schools in all 10 regions under the Basic of the progressively free SHS programme, School Computerization Programme. scholarships for over 10,000 Senior High School (SHS) students, free school uniforms, free exercise • Under the same Basic School Computerisation books and free sandals for school children. We have Programme, 50,000 basic school teachers across also expanded the school-feeding programme, the country benefited from ICT training and thus reducing the direct and indirect cost barriers supply of free computers. to parents, and that has allowed for improved attendance rates in our education system. • Over 40,000 locally produced school sandals have been distributed to pupils in some deprived These interventions have allowed the NDC districts. Government to significantly expand access to education at all levels. • The cost of BECE examination fees has been subsidized for all registered candidates in both public and private schools. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Under the Complementary Basic Education Programme, 125,000 out-of-school pupils have Basic Education been enrolled.

At the basic education level: • A historic Re-sit Policy under which 2,599 • The number of educational institutions at all under-performed BECE and private candidates levels of basic education increased from 45,447 were given the opportunity to re-sit the BECE as in the 2008/2009 academic year to over 57,270 in private candidates was implemented for the first the 2014/2015 academic year. This represents an time since the inception of the JSS/JHS system. increase of 26%. The programme has since covered two streams. • School enrolment increased from 7,038,738 • Career development training for over 60,000 students in the 2008/2009 academic year teachers at the basic level has been provided for, to 8,891,892, in the 2014/2015 academic year, while 1,000 teachers have under-gone in-service representing an increase of more than 26%. training for skills in the teaching of Science and Mathematics. • A total of 1,614 out of 2,578 basic school projects have been completed under the removal of • Existing Colleges of Education have been Schools-Under-Trees programme, providing brick equipped with requisite Science Laboratories to and mortar shelter for 484,200 pupils. train 20,000 teachers to improve the teaching of • The process to eliminate the school-shift system Science and Mathematics in basic schools. has been highly successful. • A gender parity ratio of 1:1 has been attained at • One hundred million (100,000,000) free exercise the Primary level. books have been distributed, with free school • Over 92,000 girls have benefitted from the Take- uniforms also provided to over two million Home Ration Programme in the three Northern school pupils. Regions. • Twelve million five hundred thousand (12.5million) English, Mathematics and Science • Scholarships for about 55,000 girls in the JHS textbooks were distributed to public basic have been offered under the Global Partnership schools between 2013 and 2015. This enabled for Education Programme. Ghana to exceed the universal textbook-pupil • The Ghana Reading Action Plan has been ratio of three textbooks to one pupil. implemented and more than 2.8 million pupils at • The number of pupils benefiting from the School the primary level have benefitted.

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Millennium city school

Second Cycle Education • Expanded special subsidies to cover more In the second cycle education sector we have: students in Senior High Schools. • Commenced construction of 123 out of the • Provided fifty eight thousand (58,000) bunk planned 200 Community Senior High Schools beds, fifty thousand (50,000) pieces of furniture, with ongoing commissioning of completed ones. thirty thousand (30,000) computers and three hundred (300) small water projects for selected • Implemented the Progressively Free Senior High Senior High Schools. School Programme in line with Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution. • Initiated a Secondary Education Improvement Programme under which 125 existing Senior High Schools are undergoing facility and quality upgrade. • Constructed one thousand (1,000) six-unit classroom blocks and over 180 two-storey dormitories in selected 2nd cycle institutions. • Rehabilitated and equipped five hundred (500) Science Resource Centres in the Senior High Schools across the country. • Resourced one hundred and seventy-five (175) Technical and Vocational Education and Training existing Senior High Schools across the country (TVET) with modern facilities. • Built the capacity of 6,500 Mathematics, Science We have over the last several years invested and ICT teachers from some selected Senior High heavily in Technical and Vocational Education and Schools and provided leadership training for Training (TVET). We believe we can do even better heads of Senior High Schools. by streamlining our efforts and creating a stronger linkage between our TVET training and industry.

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Community Day SHS

We must make it a focal point to promote TVET as We launched the Development of Skills for Industry a means to brighter prospects and employability. Project (DSIP) under which we undertook the We must reverse the concept of TVET as an avenue following activities: for school dropouts. We recognize that countries • Awarded bursaries to 1,520 students (including that have well developed technical and vocational 333 females) who are pursuing science related education are attracting more global production courses in Polytechnics and Technical Institutes; and thereby generating more employment for their people. • Awarded bursaries to 2,000 apprentices (including 726 females) in the informal sector; TVET forms a central plank of this administration’s Agenda for Transformation. With TVET, we seek • Trained over 800 Master Craftspersons in to empower our youth with the skills needed to Competency-Based Training (CBT) methods of enter the world of work and create prosperity for instruction; themselves and their families. • Commenced construction of modern school We have: infrastructure in 13 Technical and Vocational Institutes; • Established a broad-based governance structure including Statutory National • Sponsored the training of 148 instructors at the Technical Committees with wide stakeholder Diploma level, 20 instructors at the Masters level representation; and 5 Faculty members at the PhD level; • Established National TVET Qualifications • Trained over 5,000 Junior High School leavers Framework (NTVETQF); in garment making, cosmetology, welding and fabrication, auto mechanics and electronics in 70 • Adopted Competency-Based Training (CBT) selected districts nationwide under the National model with emphasis on linkage with industry Apprenticeship Programme; for TVET institutions; • Established a National Apprenticeship • Trained over 3,500 master craftspersons in Programme (NAP) to cater for the large informal capacity building in current industry trends; sector. • Awarded a total of US$45.4million to 617 formal

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and informal businesses, Trade Associations School of Pharmacy at ; and Training Institutions for various skills • Submitted a Bill for the establishment of the development and technology acquisition National Research Fund to Parliament; through the Skills Development Fund; • Parliament passed the Technical Universities • Provided innovative skills training to over 93,446 Bill to convert Polytechnics into Technical workers in the formal and informal sectors. Universities; Tertiary Education • Parliament passed the University of Environment We achieved the following: and Sustainable Development (UESD) Act; • Increased the capacities of the tertiary • Initiated the process to convert GRATIS institutions across the country leading to institutions into Technical Colleges; increased enrolments of 7.1% in the Universities • Provided GH¢150 million grant to 654 and 3.4% in the Polytechnics. Enrolment went up institutions, businesses and associations through by 63.8% in the 38 public Colleges of Education the Skills Development Fund to promote with the substitution of trainee allowances with Technical, Vocational Education and Training the student’s loan scheme; (TVET); • Commenced the construction of a 617-bed • Extended the Students Loans Scheme to cover Teaching Hospital at the University of Ghana, students in all tertiary institutions and increased Legon, to support the University of Ghana the amount; Medical School; • Absorbed five private Colleges of Education • Commissioned ICT facilities in the 10 Regional into Government Colleges of Education in the Distance Education Centres to aid Distance Northern, Ashanti, Western and Brong Ahafo Education; Regions; • Established the University of Energy and Natural • Offered 1,130 scholarships to students pursuing Resources (UENR) in the Brong and graduate studies (Ph.D and MSc.) including a new and permanent campus for the University Medicine and Allied Health Specializations of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta abroad; Region and initiated preparatory works for its

University of Health and Allied Sciences, Sokode, Ho

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• Granted a Presidential Charter to the Central Education and Learning) initiative that is University College. a capacity and pedagogy improvement programme for Colleges of Education; • Successfully worked with the teacher unions to ‘Teacher First Agenda’ reduce teacher absenteeism from 27% in 2012 to We have: 9.3% in 2015 with the view to improving quality and raising further the esteem of the teaching • Passed the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 (Act profession. 847) to upgrade Teacher Training Colleges to Tertiary institutions; • Reviewed the operations of the Student Loans Trust Fund to allow for teacher trainees to • Abolished the quota system in the Colleges of access the fund like their counterparts in the Education allowing for all 38 public Colleges Universities and other Tertiary Institutions. Over of Education to admit at full capacity. This 7,100 teacher trainees have so far accessed the has led to an increase in enrollment by 63.8%. Fund; Consequently, we are on course to eliminating the trained teacher deficit in schools thereby • Launched the Secondary Education Improvement improving the quality of basic education; Programme that has a component for leadership support for Heads of Senior High Schools • Reviewed the operations of the Student Loans and special capacity building for 60,000 Trust Fund to allow for teacher trainees to Mathematics, Science and ICT teachers; access the fund like their counterparts in the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions. Over • Provided free laptop computers to over 50,000 7,100 teacher trainees have so far accessed the teachers since 2013; Fund; • Implemented the T-TEL (Transforming Teacher • Launched the Secondary Education Improvement Education and Learning) initiative that is Programme that has a component for leadership a capacity and pedagogy improvement support for Heads of Senior High Schools programme for Colleges of Education; and special capacity building for 60,000 • Successfully worked with the teacher unions to Mathematics, Science and ICT teachers; reduce teacher absenteeism from 27% in 2012 to • Provided free laptop computers to over 50,000 9.3% in 2015 with the view to improving quality teachers since 2013; and raising further the esteem of the teaching profession. • Implemented the T-TEL (Transforming Teacher

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OUR COMMITMENT • Continue the provision of free school uniforms, (2017-2021) free exercise books and free footwear for needy pupils; Our programme for the 2017-2021 period covers Basic Education (comprising Early Childhood • Expand the School Feeding Programme to all Care and Development, Primary and Junior public basic schools in rural and peri-urban High Schools); Secondary Education (comprising communities; Senior High Schools, Vocational and Technical • Review the Capitation Grant; Schools) and Tertiary Education (comprising Universities, Polytechnics, Specialized • Continue to ensure improvement in Special Institutions and Colleges of Education) as Needs Education; dictated by the 1992 Constitution of the • Continue to facilitate the acceleration of ICT Republic of Ghana. education by training more teachers in the The programme also covers e-learning subject area; (including distance learning and open- • Continue the supply of computers to basic schooling), non-formal education, the welfare of schools and establish ICT laboratories for teachers, the quality of teaching and learning, selected schools; Science, Technical and Vocational Education • Work with the Ghana Education Service to re- and Training (TVET), and linkages between introduce civic education (including introduction education and industry. to the Constitution of Ghana) into the basic Basic Education: school curricula; Early Childhood Care and Development • Pilot the use of electronic textbooks (e-books) We will: using tablets. • Strengthen regulation on the establishment Second Cycle Education: of pre-schools to meet the required standards Senior High Schools and best practices in early childhood care and We intend to: development; • Complete the construction of the 200 • Review and implement the national policy Community Day Senior High Schools; on ‘Early Childhood Care and Development’ and broaden parental participation in the • Expand the progressively free SHS programme to implementation of the policy; cover boarding students with emphasis on needy students; • Strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Department of Social • Review the Computer Selection for Schools Welfare in the provision of pre-school and Programme to make it more effective and kindergarten education including the training of equitable; teachers; • Renovate and expand the facilities in existing • Continue to allocate more resources for the Senior High Schools to increase capacity for rehabilitation and construction of kindergarten admitting more qualified JHS graduates; facilities throughout the country; • Continue to provide facilities for students with • Establish special schools in designated Colleges learning disability to pursue their educational of Education to train teachers solely for Early programmes effectively. Childhood Care and Development. Technical and Vocational Education and Training Primary and Junior High School Education (TVET) We will: We will: • Complete the process of eliminating the • Implement the 2nd phase of the Skills remaining public schools under trees, and abolish Development Fund to provide grants to over the shift system countrywide; 120 private sector businesses to upgrade skills

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and acquire innovative modern technology to • Complete the University of Environment and enhance their productivity; Sustainable Development at and its • We will encourage more girls to select TVET as satellite campus at in the Eastern a career option Region; • Improve linkage between TVET and industry • Complete the establishment of three additional Colleges of Education in the under- • Increase capacity for technical training, 30% served regions of Greater , Central and of the new community senior high schools the Northern Regions; will be fitted with technical workshops and facilities to offer technical and vocational • Continue to implement the Transforming programmes; Teacher Education and Learning Programme (T-TEL) to cover professional training for • Appoint a deputy minister with primary 35,000 teachers in all the Colleges of responsibility for TVET and technical Education; education at all levels; • Complete the conversion of the ten (10) • Align vocational training properly under Polytechnics into Technical Universities and the Ministry of Education to enable better adequately resource them to ensure the supervision; provision of advanced technical, vocational • Ensure that the new Technical Universities and technological training; maintain their core mandate of science and technology training; • Support capacity building for Faculty of Technical Universities and the tertiarized • Continue the implementation of the Colleges of Education; Ghana TVET Voucher Project to support the training of 25,000 Master Craftpersons and • Continue to resource the public tertiary apprentices in productive skills in the Volta, institutions to improve quality and expand Greater Accra and Northern Regions; the intake of qualified applicants; • Accelerate the agenda to make technical and • Provide additional facilities to augment the vocational education attractive for young operations of the new Medical Schools of people to acquire employable skills; the University of , University for Development Studies and the University of • Rebrand and strengthen Technical and Health and Allied Sciences; Vocational Education and Training (TVET) so that it becomes attractive to high-performing • Initiate a review of medical training in Ghana students; with the objective of increasing the number of doctors to address the health needs of un- • Continue to equip and retool the TVET served and under-served parts of Ghana; institutions with requisite facilities; • Establish 50 Community Centres for • Create an enabling environment for the Integrated Skills Development (COCISD). increased establishment of high-standard private sector Medical Schools, which are well regulated and properly maintained; Pupils and Students with Special Needs • Continue to make allocations from the • Introduce special incentives at the basic and GETFUND for the training of Faculty second cycle levels for all pupils and students members of tertiary institutions and with special needs. provide scholarships for the training of critical manpower needed to drive Ghana’s Tertiary Education transformation agenda; We plan to: • Continue to engage and deepen support to • Establish a new College of Education as an private tertiary institutions to deliver on their Instructor Training College for TVET at Agona mandate; Swedru in the ; • Continue to extend the Student Loan

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Scheme to students in all accredited Tertiary Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Institutions; Development • Continue to engage private tertiary We will: institutions to focus training on the human • Encourage the learning of sign language at resource requirements of the nation; various levels of the education system; • Amend the GETFUND Act to extend support • Strengthen the National Teaching Council, to private tertiary institutions engaged in National Council for Curriculum and science and engineering training. Assessment, and the National Inspectorate Board to perform their assigned roles under Virtual Campus Concept - Distance Learning and the Education Act 2008 (Act 778). Open Schooling ‘Teacher First Agenda’ We propose to continue supporting the Centre As far as practicable, we will: for National Distance Learning and Open- Schooling (CENDLOS) to harmonize open and • Provide accommodation for teachers who distance learning activities. accept postings to deprived rural schools; Non-Formal Education • Re-introduce incremental credit for Science, Mathematics, Technical and Vocational We intend to: Teachers (TVET); • Increase support to, and empower the Non- • Continue to issue financial clearance to Formal Education Division (NFED) of the employ more graduate teachers as and when Ministry of Education to enable it make the appropriate; necessary interventions for life-long education in line with the United Nations Sustainable • Support teachers in science, mathematics and Development Goal Number Four; TVET to upgrade their skills; • Continue to support the implementation of • Work with GNAT, NAGRAT & CCT on exchange the National Literacy Programme. programmes for teachers

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• Continue the expansion of the Untrained monthly Labour Market Statistics to inform Teachers Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) programme choices and accreditation at the Programme to further reduce the number of tertiary level; untrained teachers in the school system • Continue to make entrepreneurship training a key component of the education system. Science and Mathematics Education Education Bills We will: Government has initiated bills that are • Continue to strengthen the teaching and designed to respond to the changing dynamics learning of Mathematics and Science and in professional education, education sector provide special support to motivate teachers decentralization, book development, adult and pupils; education, tertiary education and technical and • Enhance the Mathematics, Science and vocational education. The under-mentioned bills Technology Scholarship Scheme (MASTESS) are being processed for enactment: to support needy students to opt for • Chartered Institute of Bankers Bill mathematics and science based programmes at both secondary and tertiary levels of • Education Bill education; • Library Services Bill • Re-introduce incremental credit for Science, • Ghana Book Development Agency Bill Mathematics, Technical and Vocational • Non-Formal Education Agency Bill Teachers; • Continue to upgrade equipment for the • Tertiary Education Research Fund Bill teaching and learning of Science, Technical • National Commission for Tertiary Education Bill and Vocational subjects; • National Accreditation and Qualifications • Continue to provide consumables for effective Agency Bill and efficient use of the Science Resource Centres; • Introduce new strategies for attaining the HEALTH national objective of 60:40 admission ratio in tertiary institutions in favour of the Sciences. Ghanaians are living longer and healthier lives. Ghana’s life expectancy at birth increased from 60 years in 2008 to 63 years by 2013. Linking Education to Industry Ghana’s current Life Expectancy at birth is We will: higher than Nigeria’s (55 years), Cote d’Ivoire’s (51.5 years) as well as the sub-Sahara Africa • Establish a unit under the National Council average (56.8 years). for Tertiary Education (NCTE) to coordinate interventions for linking tertiary education to Infant, Child and Maternal mortality rates are industry; all on a downward trend. • Continue to promote collaborative Year Infant Child Under-5 programmes between industry and tertiary mortality mortality mortality institutions to increase opportunities for practical training and internship. Incentives 2008 50 31 80 will be provided to industries and businesses 2014 41 19 60 that provide more room for internships; • Continue to review curriculum development In our 2012 Manifesto, we committed of tertiary institutions to meet the skills and ourselves to delivering a better and improved human capital needs of industry; healthcare system. Resulting from the strategic • Support the Ghana Statistical Service to investments made by the NDC Government, resume the production and publication of the we achieved our target and we are working

18 | PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST THEME 1 to improve on the gains. We give credit to the Regional Hospitals ingenuity and responsiveness of health workers • Upgrading and expansion of Greater Accra for effective prevention, management and Regional Hospital at Ridge in Accra to 620-bed control of diseases, improved health conditions capacity; and better quality of life of citizens. • Construction of 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Continuation of the construction of the Upper West Regional Hospital, Wa. We have achieved the following in the health sector: District Hospitals • Established the National Ambulance Service Training School; • Design, construction and equipping of six 120-bed District Hospitals with an integrated • Trained over 500 Emergency Medical IT system at , , , Garu- Technicians; Tempane, and Sekondi; • Increased the number of Health Training • Upgrading of the Takoradi hospital; Institutions to 95 in 2015; • Expansion of the hospital into a • Increased the number of Licensed Midwives 386-bed facility; from 500 in 2009 to over 2,000 in 2015. • Design, construction and equipping of 60-bed District Hospitals for five district capitals Teaching Hospitals – , Tepa, , Twifo-Praso and • Expansion of 400-bed Tamale Teaching Konongo-Odumasi; Hospital to an 800-bed facility; • Construction of a 100-bed Madina Hospital in • Construction of 617-bed University of Ghana the ; Teaching Hospital; • Initiation of processes for the commencement • Construction of new modern Emergency of five District Hospitals at Somanya, , Department for the Korle-Bu Teaching Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Tolon and Wheta. Hospital; Polyclinics • Refurbishment of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the Department of Surgery at the Korle Bu The following have been completed and are Teaching Hospital; currently operational: • Five (5) Polyclinics in the at • Refurbishment of the Operating Theatre at Wechau, Babile, , Ko and Han; the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; • Five (5) Polyclinics in the at • Completion of the Eye Care Centre at the , Tatale, Janga, and Karaga; Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in . • Five (5) Polyclinics in the at Wassa Dunkwa, , Nsuaem, and Elubo; Institutional Hospitals • Five (5) Polyclinics in the Brong Ahafo Region at Nkrankwanta, Wamfie, Kwatire, Techimantia • Commencement of construction of 500-bed and Bomaa. Military Hospital in KumasI; Work is commencing on the construction of 16 • Renovation and expansion of 104-bed Police more polyclinics as follows: Hospital in Accra; • Five (5) Polyclinics in the Greater Accra Region • Construction of 130-bed Maritime Hospital in at , , Bortianor, Oduman and . ;

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Accra Regional Hospital

• Ten (10) Polyclinics in the Central Region at • Treated 66% of infected pregnant women to Bisease, Gomoa Dawurampong, Binpong prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; Akunfude, Etsii Sunkwa, Asikuma Gyamena, • Reduced drastically the prevalence of HIV Agona Duakwa, Biriwa, Ekumfi Narkwa, Twifo among exposed babies to 8% at birth and 21% Atimokwa and Gomoa Potsin; after breastfeeding down from 32%. • One (1) Polyclinic at Bamboi. Additional 20 Polyclinics will be constructed in National Medical Equipment Replacement Ashanti, Volta, Eastern and Upper East Regions. Programme We have provided and supplied critical Health Centres diagnostic and treatment equipment such as We have constructed 18 Health Centres across MRI machines, CT scan, fluoroscopy machine, the country. x-ray machines, digital mammography CHPS Compounds machines, oxygen plants and ambulances to We have completed over 1,200 CHPS over 150 hospitals across the country. Compounds and an additional 1,600 are under construction. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) We have: HIV/AIDS We have • Increased the out-patient utilisation of the NHIS from 9.3 million in 2008 to 29.6 million • Reduced annual AIDS deaths by 43%; in 2015; • Achieved over 50% reduction in transmission • Increased claims payment from GH¢183 of HIV from mother-to-child; Million in 2008 to GH¢1,073 billion in 2014; • Provided PMTCT (Preventing Mother to Child • Established new Claims Processing Centres Transmission) services to 81% of pregnant at Tamale, Cape Coast and Kumasi to women;

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University of Ghana Medical School

decentralise and expedite processing of claims • Create more spaces for maternal and neonatal by service providers; care in existing health facilities; • Introduced e-Claims to deal with logistic • Reduce further mother to child HIV challenges and reduce physical paper claims. transmission; Accident and Trauma Centre • Motivate health workers by ensuring appropriate and rewarding conditions of We have conducted preparatory work for the service that respond to changing trends in establishment of an Accident and Emergency healthcare; Hospital at Buipe to cater for emergency and accident victims in the northern part of the • Increase supply and fair distribution of health central spine arterial road network. personnel across the country; • Scale up the implementation of e-Health OUR COMMITMENT systems piloted in Korle-bu, Wa and Zebila (2017-2021) hospitals to all secondary and tertiary hospitals; In our next term, we will undertake the • Ensure strict compliance with data protection following: laws of the country to protect the medical • Diversify the sources of funding for the NHIS records and the privacy of patients; by allocating an approved percentage of the • Complete ongoing Regional Hospitals in ABFA from our Petroleum Revenue; Ashanti and Upper West regions; • Continue to prioritise access, equity, • Complete construction of regional hospitals in affordability and reliability of health services; Upper East, Eastern and Western Regions; • Reduce the incidence of malaria by 50%; • Undertake a comprehensive upgrade of the • Reduce cases of maternal and neonatal deaths Tema General Hospital; by a further 50%;

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• Establish a National Infectious Disease Centre; Medicinal Plants • Mainstream mental healthcare into the It is estimated that about 80% of the world’s health delivery system and ensure adequate population rely on herbal medicine, creating a resourcing and infrastructural development; huge world market for the product. Between 2008 and 2013, export of medicinal plants from • Continue to provide Polyclinics and District Ghana increased five-fold from US$8million to Hospitals especially in the newly created approximately US$ 40million. districts; In the next four years, we will: • Continue the construction of the 120-bed • Support the large-scale cultivation of Hospital in the ; medicinal plants for export; • Complete 15 Polyclinics in the Greater Accra • Support the manufacture of traditional and Central Regions; remedies for diseases; • Construct 20 Polyclinics in Ashanti, Eastern, • Create a permanent body to review the Ghana Volta and Upper East Regions; Herbal Pharmacopoeia on a regular basis; • Continue the construction of Community • Strengthen regulatory mechanisms to ensure Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compounds; safe, efficacious and efficient administration of herbal medicine; • Standardize the CHPS Compounds Operational Zones and Health Centres • Continue to support the Centre for Research countrywide; into Plant Medicine, -Akwapim, and the Centre for Traditional and Herbal • Strengthen the partnership with local Medicine, KNUST; pharmaceutical companies to make them • Establish the School of Traditional Medicine at more efficient, reliable and competitive both Keta in addition to the School of Pharmacy as locally and internationally; a satellite campus of the University of Health • Take appropriate measures to achieve an and Allied Sciences. uninterrupted supply of anti-retroviral drugs Accident and Trauma Centers for HIV and AIDS patients including supply of ARVs from local pharmaceutical producing We will: companies; • Upgrade existing health facilities located in the following towns along some of the major • Support bilateral and other exchange highways into Accident and Trauma Centres: programmes for our health personnel to expose them to best practices around the o () world; o Anomabo (Central Region) • Continue to implement policies on the o Half-Assini (Western Region) integration of Traditional Medicine into the o () mainstream health care delivery system in compliance with the provisions of the o Kintampo (Brong Ahafo Region) Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000 (Act o (Brong Ahafo Region) 575); o Wa (Upper West Region) • Extend the on-going free Insecticide Treated o (Volta Region) Nets (ITN) distribution programme to attain the 2005 Abuja target of 60% of children o Gambia No. 2 (Brong Ahafo Region) sleeping under insecticide treated nets o Buipe (Northern Region) countrywide by 2020; • Train more doctors in Advanced Trauma Life • Expand the bio-larvicide spraying programme Support (ATLS) to help in the specialized to reduce the incidence of malaria. handling of accident and trauma victims.

22 | PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST THEME 1

International Maritime Hospital

HIV/AIDS and the 90-90-90 Fast-Track Targets drastically improve mental healthcare in Ghana. by 2020 To this end, we will stimulate the training of more psychiatric specialists (doctors and nurses), We shall prioritise and implement the National encourage more psychologists and allied Strategic Plan 2016-2020 on HIV/AIDS and work professionals to specialise in mental health care towards achieving the 90-90-90 fast-track and ensure mainstreaming of mental healthcare targets (90% of People Living with HIV know in our hospitals. their status, 90% of People Living with HIV on Antiretroviral treatment and 90% immune We will move the Accra Psychiatric Hospital suppression). to Pantang and develop the Pantang Mental Hospital into a first class mental health facility. The priorities shall include strengthening of We will build two additional psychiatric strategic information and health systems, hospitals in Ashanti and the Northern Regions. community empowerment to scale up HIV testing, treatment and targeted behaviour change among others. PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR HEALTH Additionally, we will continue to work to AND WELL BEING eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV Ghana continues to be affected by the by 2017 and meet the needs of adolescents and double burden of communicable and non- youth. communicable disease. While establishing the National Infectious Disease Centre, stepping MENTAL HEALTH up campaigns and undertaking activities to improve personal hygiene and sanitation to We shall prioritise mental health care and deal with communicable diseases, we shall ensure strict implementation of the Mental also vigorously create national awareness on Health Act 2012 (Act 846) by working with local the need to combat lifestyle diseases such as and international partners to galvanise support diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure for the attainment of the objectives that will and stroke.

| 23 THEME 1 PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

Upper East Regional Hospital

In addition to Physical Education Exercises in • Established and launched the Youth Enterprise schools, we shall promote the establishment Support (YES) Initiative, which has led to the of Community Residence Health Teams to provision of support for over 100 youth start- encourage regular communal physical exercise, ups in one year; regular drills in Basic Life Support and Health • Provided legal backing - Youth Employment Talks, with the view to inculcating healthy Act 2015 (Act 887) for the Youth Employment lifestyles in the citizenry. Agency, which is currently employing about 100,000 youth under its modules; • Created 21,045 jobs under the Rural Enterprise YOUTH & SPORTS The NDC Government recognises that Ghana’s Project; population is youthful, hence the need for • Created 21,802 jobs under the Opportunities policies and programmes that will harness Industrialisation Centres (OIC), National and develop their potential for national Vocational Training Institute; development. In line with this, the next NDC • Created over 9,000 jobs under the Cocoa Government will continue to invest in job Seedlings Production Project; creation for the youth, youth empowerment and sports development. This will create the • Revamped the Ghana Broiler Re-vitalisation environment for the youth to attain excellence Project; in the pursuit of opportunities in this country. It • Provided training and financial support for will also enable the youth to excel in local and over 100 youth under the Youth Enterprise international sporting competitions. Support (YES) Fund; • Assisted 2,000 youth under the Graduate OUR ACHIEVEMENTS Business Support Scheme; • Provided support to over 190,000 persons In the Youth Sector, the NDC Government has through the Microfinance and Small Loan achieved the following: PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST THEME 1

Cape Coast Stadium

Centre (MASLOC) finance schemes; Nations Cup tournament held in Equatorial Guinea and qualified for the next African • Supported 500 young people through the Nations Cup tournament; Gratis Foundation equipment manufacturing programme; • The Black Satellites placed 3rd in the Orange • Injected $124 million into skills development African U-20 Cup of Nations Tournament held under the Development of Skills for Industry in Senegal; Project (DSIP) initiative; • We commenced construction of a new boxing- • Invested over $200 million in providing gym and sports complex near the Korle support services to artisans under the Ghana Lagoon in Jamestown, Accra; Technical, Vocational, Education and Training • We commenced work on the construction of (TVET) Initiative. a stadium at in the Ashanti In the Sports Sector, we achieved the following: Region; • We completed the construction of the • The Black Queens, Princesses and Maidens 15,000-seater capacity Cape Coast Stadium have all qualified for both continental and with an 8-lane artificial surface running track, global tournaments; two outdoor basketball courts, one handball • Ghana won its first ever-Olympic gold medal court, a boxing training court, audience at any level in any sport at the Youth Olympics emergency rooms, over 20 guest rooms and in Nanying, China in 2014; four athletic lounges and other facilities; • Ghana won its first gold medal in the • We won 19 medals at the 2015 All Africa Commonwealth Youth Games in long jump. Games held in the Congo, with the Black Queens and the Men’s Lawn Tennis Doubles OUR COMMITMENT Team winning gold medals; (2017-2021) • The Black Stars placed 2nd in the African THEME 1 PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

Youth Empowerment and Development talent; The next NDC government will: • Continue to support our various National Teams to qualify for and win laurels at • Increase funding for the YES Initiative to international competitions such as the GH¢25 million a year to provide more funds to African, Olympic, Commonwealth and World grow and develop youth entrepreneurship; Cup Tournaments; • Enact a new Youth Act to take care of • Require the MMDAs to provide well-resourced emerging issues in youth development and sports infrastructure in all the districts to consolidate existing related laws; enhance the development of sports; • Refurbish the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex • Introduce a policy for an ‘admissions quota’ for in Accra to serve as a sports and recreational talented sports and other creative students in centre for the youth; SHS and public universities; • Retool and refurbish all eleven (11) Regional • In every region, one of the new community Youth Leadership Training Institutes; day senior high schools will be fitted and • Continue mainstreaming youth development developed into a centre of excellence in sports; issues into national development frameworks, • Facilitate the establishment of a scheme to plans and programmes; fund sports activities with particular emphasis • Support youth empowerment through on the lesser-known sports; enterprise training, business support and the • Continue to facilitate the recruitment of provision of micro credit. qualified technical staff at the district level as sports coordinators to help develop sports at SPORTS the grassroots level. The next NDC Government will: CONSOLIDATING SOCIAL PROTECTION • Complete the New-Edubiase Sports Stadium in the Ashanti Region; Social protection has remained an integral part of the broad social development policy of the • Build new sports stadia in the Upper West, NDC. It aims to advance the livelihood of the Upper East, Volta, Eastern and Brong Ahafo vulnerable in our society including women, Regions; children, persons with disability, indigents and • Revamp the Sports College into a the aged. full-fledged practical and academic human resource development centre affiliated to the University of Education, Winneba; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Systematically develop a new and effective system through public-private partnership We have in the management of our existing sports • Achieved the first target of the Millennium infrastructure; Development Goal of halving extreme poverty • Renovate and expand facilities at the El- two years ahead of the 2015 deadline; Wak Stadium and redevelop the Nicholson • Launched the National Social Protection Park at Burma Camp into a mini stadium in Policy; collaboration with the Military; • Finalised a Social Protection Bill; • Construct a new multi-purpose indoor sports dome for basketball, volleyball, handball, • Launched the National Targeting Unit to weightlifting, table tennis and aquatics; develop the Ghana National Household Registry (GNHR) database and Management • Revive the traditional Inter-Schools and Information System (MIS); Colleges sports programmes to help unearth PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST THEME 1

• Increased the LEAP beneficiary households iv. Human Trafficking Legislative Instrument from 71,000 in January 2013 to 146,074 in June v. Domestic Violence Legislative Instrument. 2016; • Launched the National Gender Policy to • Increased the proportion of the District mainstream Gender Equality and Women’s Assemblies Common Fund allocated to Empowerment into Ghana’s development Persons with Disability by 50%; efforts; • Proposed amendments to the Persons with • Granted educational scholarships to over Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) to make it 300 girls and trained them in masonry and consistent with the UN Convention on the spraying mechanics; Rights of Persons with Disability; • Launched the first Government Shelter for • Developed a draft on Ghana Accessibility abused women and children; Standards on the built environment in collaboration with the Ghana Standards • Shut down the witches camp at Bonyase in Authority to facilitate access for persons with the Northern Region; disability; • Provided free NHIS registration for over 800 • Introduced the Elderly Persons Welfare Card inmates of witches camps. (EBAN) to 10,526 elderly persons above 65 • We will empower women to take control of years to provide 50% rebate on Metro Mass their reproductive health. transport fare for the elderly, priority access to all social services, transport terminals, • We will promote population control. hospitals and banks; • Finalised the National Ageing Bill for Children submission to Parliament; We have • Registered over 92,000 people comprising • Launched the Justice for Children Policy; 11,000 prisoners, over 10,000 Persons with Disability, over 10,000 elderly persons, 60,000 • Finalised the Legislative Instrument for child LEAP beneficiaries and 1,000 female head adoption under the Children’s Act 1998 (Act porters (Kayayei) free of charge on the NHIS; 560); • Provided LEAP support for inmates of witches • Finalised Foster Care Regulations under the camps, state orphanages and leprosaria; Children’s Act 1998(Act 560); • Set up coordinated gender-based response • Amended the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560); centres at Mallam Atta and Agbogbloshie • Established a Central Adoption Authority; markets to provide counseling services, • Initiated a national campaign against child humanitarian and psycho-social support to marriages; head porters (Kayayei) and other vulnerable market women. • Created three additional child assault treatment centres in Effia , Komfo Anokye and Tamale Hospitals to treat abused Gender children; We undertook the following activities: • Implemented the Child and Family Welfare • Strengthened the gender legal framework by Policy 2015 on pilot basis in 20 selected working on the following bills which are at districts; various stages of completion: • Commenced the registration of all 1.7million i. Affirmative Action Bill pupils in school-feeding schools on the NHIS; • Increased the number of children on the ii. Intestate Succession (Amendment) Bill school-feeding programme from 440,000 in iii. Property Rights of Spouses Bill 2008 to 1,700,000 in 2015. THEME 1 PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

OUR COMMITMENT to ensure substantial transformation of (2017-2021) these communities under the Economic Transformation and Livelihood Empowerment Programme (ETLEP); An NDC government will continue to • Improve access to quality healthcare by consolidate and expand the interventions that continuing to register vulnerable persons have been implemented over the last four including indigents, kayayei, prisoners, aged years and introduce additional social protection persons and persons with disability on NHIS; initiatives to sustain the livelihood of the vulnerable and lift others out of poverty. • Pursue the passage of the Aged Bill and the Social Protection Bill; We will • Improve the targeting of social protection • Implement a graduation programme that interventions to cater for excluded groups identifies vulnerable persons to be trained and such as out-of-school children, child-headed empowered to own their own businesses; households, people with severe disabilities, • Develop an enhanced national household lepers and the aged and urban poor; registry that identifies vulnerable persons and • Continue the empowerment of kayayei by extremely poor persons for support; extending the 1,000 pilot Out-of-School • Increase leap beneficiary households to (Kayayei) YEA Programme to cover 10,000 350,000; kayayei even as we work to provide them with alternative livelihood opportunities; • Artisanal fishing communities, coastal and inland, and deprived inner city communities • Continue the process of registering all including Zongos will not only be targeted 1.7million pupils in school-feeding schools on for the Livelihood Empowerment Against the NHIS; Poverty Programme but will also be one of • Expand the coverage of Elderly Persons the earliest beneficiaries of the Progressively Welfare Card (EBAN), to enable more of the Free S.H.S. intervention while we work aged have preferential access to banking

28 | PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST THEME 1

services, hospitals and free metro mass transit bus rides; • Upgrade the EBAN card into an electronic card for financial transactions; • Introduce a Special Economic Scheme for Senior Citizens (SPESSEC) under which vulnerable senior citizens above 65 years who are not on any formal pension scheme will be granted a bi-monthly stipend by the State. • Offer special assistance for the education of pupils and students with special-needs including, but not limited to, schools for the blind, deaf, autism and cerebral palsy; • Introduce motorized transport (tricycles) for physically challenged persons. Demonstration models will be presented to the National Federation of Disabled Persons for evaluation; • An additional 30% increase of the the District Assemblies Common Fund reserved for Persons with Disability to cater for their free NHIS subscription.

| 29 THEME TWO STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

30 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2

Ghana’s economy has seen steady progress over the past few decades and investor confidence continues to improve with the attainment of Lower Middle Income Country (LMIC) status. The average GDP growth rate over the seven-year period spanning 2009 to 2015 is 6.8% per annum compared to 5.8% per annum from 2001 to 2008 and 4.4% between 1993 and 1999. Macroeconomic stability remains key to the attainment of accelerated growth and development. With prudent and effective management of the economy, we have seen sustained growth over the last few years despite the challenging context of global economic volatilities (precipitous fall in commodity prices) and an economy in transition with attendant dwindling concessional financing and increasing cost of credit.

THE ECONOMY Shoe Factory, the Ghana Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo and the Ceramic Factory that will produce OUR ACHIEVEMENTS 40 million square metres of tiles annually for the local and export markets, at Eshiem in the In 2014, our “home grown solutions” fortified by Western Region. the consensus we reached at Senchi, led to the Arising out of our commitment to build strong development of a domestic agenda for growth institutions as an anchor in the Transformation and development that was used as the basis Agenda, the following have been achieved: for initiating discussion with the International Monetary Fund for an External Credit Facility • The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (ECF) Programme. (GIIF), which will be at the forefront of addressing our infrastructure deficit and After two years of implementation, the ECF accelerating growth, has been established; is contributing to the reversal of adverse movements and allowing macro-economic • The Export Trade Agricultural and Industrial indicators to resume positive trends. Economic Development Fund (EDAIF) was strengthened growth is on the rise, the rate of inflation is to give more financing supporting to local moving downward, the exchange rate is stable, industries; and even appreciating as a result of a reducing • The Export and Import Bank of Ghana has been budget deficit. Improvements in the balance of established. payments have contributed to increase in the level of reserves. We commit to sustaining the reforms that have turned our fortunes around OUR COMMITMENT and confirmed the potential of our economy. (2017-2021) We also commit to implementing the Economic Transformation and Livelihood Empowerment MACROECONOMIC POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND Programme (ETLEP) to create more jobs for the TARGETS citizenry for enhanced incomes. Since the attainment of the Lower Middle Income Investor confidence has been high, attested to Country status in 2011 and the subsequent by the fact that global companies continue to reclassification of Ghana’s international prolife, invest in our economy. Ghana attracted US$9.7 the need to change economic management billion in Foreign Direct Investment between 2013 strategy has become crucial, especially in the and 2015. Work commenced on the US$7 billion country’s financing arrangements. Sankofa hydrocarbon project, which the World Grants, which had hitherto played a significant Bank guaranteed with US$700 million. role in the country’s financing choices, have Our vision of a strong and resilient economy is virtually ceased on the attainment of the LMIC that it must lead to increased value addition status. In spite of this, growth performance and job creation. This informed our investment has been encouraging and the economy in domestic raw material based industries, such has remained relatively stable with the as the Komenda Sugar Factory, the Kumasi implementation of our economic programme.

| 31 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

GIHOC distilleries

Spurred on by the successful economic Ghana’s status as an oil exporting country performance in recent years and mindful of the requires that we improve agriculture in order to fact that Ghana is a LMIC, the next four years will avoid the Dutch disease. It is our commitment be underpinned by continued pursuit of prudent to maintain a vibrant agricultural sector such economic policies aimed at further creation of that developments in oil and gas production employment opportunities, enhanced incomes do not engender a loss of competitiveness of and growth with macroeconomic stability. the agricultural sector. This is important for us because agriculture remains the primary With economic growth spurring strong livelihood for the majority of our population, employment creation, macroeconomic policies especially in rural communities. Sustained will emphasize domestic demand policies to investments in agricultural expansion through safeguard macroeconomic stability and keep commercialization and the adoption of modern inflation in single digits. technologies will help create job opportunities Towards this end, a strong focus will also be on for the poor and fight an increasingly adverse increased agricultural production, especially climate. food crops. The evidence shows that inflation Similarly, exchange rate policies will be anchored is massively influenced by the food crops and in promoting exports and private sector fisheries component of the Consumer Price Index competitiveness. The private sector is envisioned (CPI) basket. to partner the public sector in the production and To ensure that food crops and fisheries sector delivery of infrastructure facilities. The NDC as a do not impact negatively on inflation, a social democratic party with strong conviction better congenial framework will be provided for active state participation in the delivery of for the public and private sector to drive the public goods and other meritorious social goods, modernization of the agricultural sector. It is will continue to promote partnerships with the expected that this modernization of agriculture private sector in the production of these goods will feed into the macroeconomic management and services. process while macroeconomic stability will, The NDC envisages that the private sector in turn, enhance private sector competitive will take a leading role in the diversification of agricultural production.

32 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2 exports and expand access to both international are maintained at sustainable levels into the and domestic markets with import substitution, longer term. thus improving foreign exchange earnings of The NDC Government will work to ensure government and providing relative stability in the that the fiscals do not pose problems for foreign exchange market. debt management, especially as outlined Having reined in the fiscal excesses that in our Medium Term Debt Strategy (MTDS), characterised election years, prudence in public which focuses on managing the risk exposure expenditures will continue to be a top priority to associated with the existing debt portfolio ensure the fiscal and macroeconomic stability of and taking the necessary and prudent steps the country. We will rationalize the fiscal space, to mitigate the potential risk that would be especially the tariff regimes to ensure that embedded in current and future borrowing. With taxation and other tariffs are instruments of improved sovereign rating of Ghana, the private industrial development and trade facilitation so sector can borrow internationally at lower rates that, supported by government, the private sector to invest and promote job creation. can become the engine of employment creation, Consequently, the continued transformation will enhanced incomes, growth and wealth creation. entail: The revenues accrued will be used to leverage • Acceleration of inclusive economic growth; private sector investments. In order to optimise the use of tariffs and other taxes, both as revenue • Reinforcement of local content policies; generation and trade facilitation instruments, and • Control of inflation; to promote industrial development, Government has established the Ghana International Trade • Currency stabilization and improvement Commission (GITC) with the mandate, inter alia, in levels of international reserves through to: sustainable export-led policies; • Monitor and review the pattern of Ghana’s • Reduction in the Debt-to-GDP ratio through international trade and advise on matters further enhancement of our debt-management affecting trade and industry; policies; and • Study, identify and recommend tariff levels for • The creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs specific sectors of the economy with due regard in both the formal and informal sectors of the to the effective rate of protection without the economy. blanket removal of duties on all imports and We will target increased growth rates in the • Conduct studies and publish reports on the agriculture and services sector as well as competitiveness of Ghana’s tariff structure and revitalize the industry sector, particularly the the impact of the tariff structure on domestic manufacturing sub-sector. industry, market access opportunities and challenges in relation to exports from Ghana; Macroeconomic Targets With improved private sector competitiveness Fiscal Policy (as a result of rationalized tariff regimes for growth and stronger taxable income) revenues Our fiscal policy will aim to: will increase to reduce the fiscal deficits and also reduce dependence on debt. It is expected that • Ensure a transparent, effective and efficient the associated improved revenues and reduced natural resource management regime including monetization of fiscal deficits, interest rates on oil and gas resource management; private sector loans will fall and make credit more • Consolidate the processes for the management accessible at competitive rates. of public finances to improve reporting, Germane to the fiscal rationalization accountability and transparency; for macroeconomic stability is the debt • Implement the Revenue Administration Act management objective to source funds to meet as well as Regulations to, among other things, public financing needs and payment obligations move revenue processes to an electronic at the minimum competitive cost and prudent platform; level of risk, as well as to ensure that public debts

| 33 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

• Continue to pursue policies that will ensure While we recognise that a lot has already been fiscal prudence and avoid excessive budget done, we also concede that some issues remain deficits; to be addressed. In line with this, the NDC Government will continue to work assiduously • Accelerate the implementation of the Public to create the appropriate socio-economic Financial Management Reforms, including the environment for providing working people with Integrated Financial Management Information their basic human needs, to enhance productivity Systems (GIFMIS) and Programme-Based for accelerated national development. Budgeting (PBB); All over the world, sustainable job creation • Rationalise the tax system to reduce the burden has become central to the attainment of the on the few and socio-economic policies of Governments. We • Simplify the tax system to make it more are committed to roll out special projects and efficient and robust. programmes to propel the creation of more sustainable jobs in both the formal and informal Monetary Policy sectors.

Our monetary policy will aim to: Through direct Government interventions and partnerships with the private sector, the • Encourage the Bank of Ghana to continue to following job opportunities have been created: implement policies that emphasize low and stable inflation rates, as well as a stable and • Between 2013 and 2015, Government through productive exchange rate regime to enhance the Export Trade Agricultural and Industrial trade competitiveness; Development Fund (EDAIF) supported local industries to the tune of GH¢245.4 million. This • Support the Bank of Ghana to initiate and amount funded 125 different projects in the implement policies that will compel commercial production of pharmaceuticals, rice, sheanut, banks to reduce the spread between their poultry and textiles, creating thousands of jobs; borrowing and lending rates; • The Skills Development Fund (implemented by • Scale-up processes, including not only working COTVET) has disbursed a total of GH¢150 million closely with the Telecommunication Companies to 654 businesses, which have trained 93,600 to reduce the high level of cash transactions but people in various skills across all sectors of the also supporting the use of electronic payment economy. A total of 43,485 businesses have also platforms to effect payments for all forms of received various forms of support under the financial obligations to public institutions; Fund; • Continue to strengthen the capital market; • In line with the policy to attain 100% local • Encourage the Bank of Ghana to support our printing of textbooks, contracts have been job creation agenda and economic growth awarded to Ghanaian printing firms and through financial intermediation alongside the publishers. This policy, alongside the removal of attainment of price stability; duties on imported raw materials for printing textbooks, is creating about 4,000 jobs; • Support the implementation of the Ghana Depositors Protection law to protect small • Under the Free Zones Board, a total of 69 depositors in the micro-finance industry. companies were established between 2013 and 2015, leading to the employment of 16,372 people; JOB CREATION • The Youth in Agriculture programme employed The NDC Government has over the years 23,000 youth in 2013 bringing the total number successfully implemented the Single Spine of young farmers under the programme to Pay Policy, stabilized the exchange rate regime, 81,150; improved the macroeconomic environment, enhanced government-labour relationship and • The Department of Cooperatives registered a implemented targeted policies and programmes total of 1,757 Youth Co-operatives in all the 10 to improve the living standards of working people regions leading to the creation of 34,657 jobs; in Ghana. • The Rural Enterprises Project led to the creation

34 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2

of 21,045 jobs across the country between 2013 carpenters, welders, steel benders, electricians and 2015; and painters, among others, are currently employed at various sites; • GRATIS Foundation under the Ministry of Trade and Industry created 500 jobs through the • We distributed 110 million cocoa seedlings to production of agricultural implements; farmers between 2014 and 2016 crop seasons. This has created 9,000 jobs across 418 nursery • The Micro Finance and Small Loan Centre sites. Since the programme was launched in (MASLOC) advanced micro credit to a total 2014, over 30,000 youth have signed up in the of 190,607 beneficiaries between 2010 and cocoa growing areas; 2015. This has enabled the beneficiaries to set up micro businesses, which are offering • The pilot phase of the Ghana Broiler Re- jobs to themselves and others. The Centre has vitalisation Project was launched in July 2014. also distributed 953 vehicles for commercial A total of 650,000 birds were raised, processed transport, and 25 tractors for agricultural use; and sold in 2015. This created 350 direct jobs and 7,800 indirect jobs for poultry farmers and the • The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) is offering youth along the poultry value chain. employment to over 100,000 youth; • The first batch of over 100 beneficiaries of the Youth Enterprise Support (YES) initiative has THE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND received financial support to establish and grow LIVELIHOOD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME their own businesses after intensive training (ETLEP) and mentoring in business management; Having stabilized the economy by reducing the budget deficit to single digit, stabilizing the • Following the massive Government investment exchange rate, and also GDP growth projected to in the construction of hospitals, roads, schools, be above 8% in 2017, the next NDC Government water, energy, housing and market projects, over will implement the Economic Transformation and 400,000 professionals and artisans, architects, Livelihood Empowerment Programme (ETLEP) engineers, quantity surveyors, masons, with the view to creating more employment

| 35 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION opportunities particularly for the youth, the youth to identify economic potential in the enhancing incomes, growing the economy and agricultural space in Ghana. We will continue ensuring socioeconomic transformation. to provide training in agricultural production, entrepreneurial skills development (business Our employment initiative will focus on the excellence), supervision and monitoring for attainment of social inclusion and integration youth in agriculture. of young people into the world of work. Specific challenges to be addressed include labour market Consequently, the next NDC administration will barriers, job matching problems, lack of labour focus on a job creation strategy that targets market information, as well as inadequate manufacturing, agriculture and agribusiness, technical, soft and life skills. Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), implementation of the National Infrastructure A combination of private and public initiatives Plan, small and medium scale business will continue to be deployed and enhanced to enterprises, special development zones and facilitate massive job creation for the youth. It tourism. shall include among others: We intend to: • Infrastructure/Labour Intensive works – Following the formal launch of the Labour- • Create jobs through promoting Intensive Public Works policy, the NDC entrepreneurship and direct job programmes; Government will employ over 300,000 unskilled • Introduce programmes to address labour supply people in public works; and to increase productivity and employability • ICT Jobs – Following the establishment of the of the youth; Business Process Out-Sourcing (BPO) Centre • Establish a Human Resource Database for near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and Ghana; completion of the Advance Building at the Tema ICT park, we will continue to create more • Expand the scope of the Local Content Act to ‘digital jobs’ for the ‘digital youth’ through a cover other sectors of the economy, such as comprehensive ICT training programme for the construction and mining; youth; • Establish Employment Service Providers in all • Sugar Estates – With the establishment of MMDAs and set job outcome targets for these the Komenda Sugar Factory and further service providers; development of sugar plantations and irrigation • Establish a Labour Market Information System; facilities in other parts of the country, we will upscale the production of sugar from 7,000mt • Rebrand the Labour Department to become a to 20,000mt to create 20,000 additional jobs National Employment Center to hold a database and situate Ghana as a net exporter of sugar; of Ghanaians and their qualifications and skills sets. Employers will be offered incentives to • Redevelopment of the textile Industry – We recruit from this database; will take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to revamp the textile • Expand the YEA job creation opportunities from industry which, hitherto, employed over 45,000 100,000 to 400,000; persons; • Promote occupational health and safety • Building the right skills for the Youth – We will standards in the work environment; re-establish Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as an enviable profession; • Support a growing private sector to complement the job creation efforts of • Youth Entrepreneurship –We will provide Government; business advisory services to young entrepreneurs (e.g mentoring, business • Increase employment in the agriculture development services and/or business sector through agriculture modernization, formalisation) and ensure access to as well as improvement and expansion in microfinance; the agro-industry with a focus on irrigation infrastructure; • Youth In Agriculture - A number of concepts • Continue to encourage able and willing youth to have been developed to address and encourage

36 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2

enter into cocoa farming and provide them with • Distribute vehicles to be used for taxis and effective extension services support, seedlings tricycles to be used as intermediate means of and fertilizer; transport and • Provide thousands of jobs through the supply • Disburse funds to youth in other micro and of over 30 million improved, early-maturing small scale enterprises. and high-yielding coffee seedlings to farmers, and increase the total acreage of coffee farms Small Business Enterprises from an estimated 6,000 hectares to 100,000 We will: hectares by 2021; • Create 76,000 direct and indirect jobs resulting • Continue to support young people under the from the establishment of a Shrimp Project Youth Enterprise Support (YES) Fund to establish to promote processing and production for the and grow their own businesses. To this end Ghanaian market and for export; GHC100 million will be allocated to YES over the next four years; • Production of fingerlings - laboratories, fish feed factories, production ponds, processing • Create an enabling climate for digital and marketing facilities will be located in parts entrepreneurship; of the Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern Regions. • Support the Kumasi Business Incubator Project Production is estimated to be 30,000 metric (KBIP at the Kwame Nkrumah University of tonnes and projected export revenue ranges Science and Technology (KNUST) to identify between US$60 million and US$200 million; more young talents especially students and • Trigger massive investments in textiles, graduates who have ICT-enabled innovative garments, leather goods and other light ideas to establish their own businesses and manufacturing industries to take advantage of nurture them, and also support other public AGOA and growing ECOWAS market; Universities to establish similar incubators; • Continue to rely on Ghanaian professionals (local and foreign) for internship and placement • Operationalize the Young Changers Business programmes in the petroleum and other sectors Forum (YCBF) targeted at Senior High School and and University students to build their capacities on how to start and manage a business; • Regularize and transform artisanal mining operations into legitimate small-scale mining • Fully implement the Graduate Enterprise activities in demarcated areas to create Development Initiative (GEDI) and employment. • Train young people under the Rural Entrepreneurship Activation Programme (REAP) Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) to stimulate rural enterprise development; We will strengthen and expand the operations of Savannah Accelerated Development Authority MASLOC to create over three hundred thousand (SADA) (300,000) jobs by continuing the implementation SADA’s mandate covers the accelerated of the following: development of the Northern Region, Upper East • Improve poultry production by making Region, Upper West Region, part of northern disbursements to poultry farmers to produce Brong Ahafo Region and part of northern Volta over 200,000 birds in selected regions; Region. • Increase fish production by continuing to supply The following initiatives already rolled out by thousands of outboard motors to fishermen; SADA will be continued to support the creation of more jobs: • Disburse funds to over 200,000 microcredit/ group clients to support diverse economic • Construction of irrigation facilities to irrigate activities including food marketing, food-crop up to 50,000 hectares of land particularly at farming and micro enterprises; Nasia-Nabogo, Pwalugu, Bui, Fumbisi Valley, Tamne and Daka Valley for the cultivation of • Disburse funds to over 15,000 small loan clients rice, bananas, cashew nuts, vegetables, soya and engaged in micro, small and medium scale maize, among others; enterprises;

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• Harnessing water from the White and Black Coastal Plains Development Authority (CoPDA) Volta and from other water bodies for transport, CoPDA’s mandate will cover the capital city irrigation and aqua culture; Greater Accra and its environs including Ada, • Launching the Northern Savannah Agricultural Ningo and Prampram. Transformation Programme (NSATP), to Industrial Cities Rejuvenation Projects leverage the mobilization of about US$1 billion to invest in the transformation of agriculture The NDC Government’s programme for the and agribusiness in the Northern Savannah redevelopment of the city of Tema and the ecological zone; development of industrial parks and free zones in Tema and Sekondi-Takoradi will provide further • Construction of an inland port and a harbour opportunities for employment for the youth. city at Buipe; Tourism • Re-modelling Tamale to become a multi-modal international transport hub; The implementation of the fifteen-year Tourism Development Plan as a major pillar of Ghana’s • Initiating work on the construction of at least economy will promote the creation of sustainable three medium-sized dams at Juale, Jambito and jobs especially under the eco-tourism, culture Pwalugu as sources of energy for facilitating tourism, health tourism and heritage tourism industrial clusters; programmes. • Facilitating the setting up of solar energy farms The implementation of the Marine Drive Project and the establishment of waste-to-energy in Accra will also generate thousands of jobs. plants (bioenergy) in at least three urban towns, including the Tamale metropolis; Roads, Bridges and Flyovers • Greening the Savannah to adapt and mitigate Work on the Interchange, the Kwame the effects of climate change by working with Nkrumah Interchange, alongside the construction traditional leaders, academia and the private of roads and bridges across the country, has the sector to facilitate the planting of 500 million benefit of creating sustainable jobs for various trees as wood lots and as protection for the grades of professionals, semi-skilled and unskilled Volta River Basin. labour. We will continue to use the labour intensive Western Corridor Development Authority strategy for the construction and rehabilitation of (WeCDA) certain categories of roads. WeCDA’s mandate will cover the accelerated Mentorship, Apprenticeship and Training development of the Central and Western Regions To promote mentorship, training placements will in areas where the two regions have comparative be expanded for brilliant fresh graduates who advantage with a special focus on the creation of have completed national service and have not yet sustainable jobs. obtained employment. Eastern Corridor Development Authority (ECDA) Apprentices and interns will be trained in ECDA’s mandate will cover the Volta Region and targeted demand-driven skill trades. Eastern Region excluding the Afram Plains. It will fast-track the rapid economic transformation and development of these regions for sustainable job Private Sector and Job Creation creation. We reiterate our confidence in the private sector Forest Belt Development Authority (FoBDA) as a key partner in job creation. With the efforts made to achieve sustainable power supply and FoBDA’s mandate will cover the Ashanti Region, the relative stability of the macroeconomic Brong Ahafo Region and the Afram Plains. It environment, our collaboration with the private will maximize the potential of the Ashanti and sector is set to yield better dividends in creating Brong Ahafo Regions and exploit the huge and more jobs and improving incomes. extensive fertile plains in the Eastern Region to produce grains and create jobs.

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AGRICULTURE total of 3,831 hectares of lowlands has been engineered to improve water management for In our 2012 Manifesto, we promised, among other rice production in the Northern, Upper East, things, to promote agriculture modernization and Upper West and the Volta Regions; to transform the rural economy. The objective was to ensure food security and increased production • Total food crop production has also increased of cash crops. It was also to ensure reduced from 23,871,554 metric tonnes in 2008 to imports, increased exports and the production 32,283,000 metric tonnes in 2014 as follows: of raw materials for industry. It was further to o Production of Cereals (maize, millet, sorghum) reduce poverty, raise rural incomes and improve increased from 1,994,861 metric tonnes in 2008 the standards of living. to 2,176,153 metric tonnes in 2014; o Roots and Tubers (cassava, yam, plantain) OUR ACHIEVEMENTS output increased from 19,583,633 metric tonnes in 2008 to 27,428,442 metric tonnes in 2014; A lot has been achieved through the o Legumes (groundnuts, cowpea, soybean) implementation of policies and programmes in production increased from 724,574 metric the first term of the Mahama administration tonnes in 2008 to 768,896 metric tonnes in consistent with the promises made in the 2012 2014; Manifesto. Some of the major successes are the following: o Livestock population (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry) increased from 49,678,000 metric • In 2013, 166,807mt of fertilizer were distributed tonnes in 2008 to 81,229,000 metric tonnes in to farmers, compared to 43,176mt in 2008. This 2014; moved fertilizer coverage from 8kg per hectare in 2008 to 12kg per hectare as of 2013; • Through the West African Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP) II, 40 • Two hundred metric tonnes of improved rice incubators have been supplied to 40 districts seeds were distributed to 10,000 farmers in the in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions to facilitate access to day old Guinea Regions to increase productivity; fowl keels; • Local rice production has increased from • To enhance protected vegetable production, 250 301,900 metric tonnes in 2008 to 604,041 greenhouses have been imported under the metric tonnes in 2014. Consequently, Ghana has WAAPP II and distributed to farmers; attained 56% self-sufficiency in rice production. Indeed, the rice import bill fell by 45%, reducing • Under the first phase of the Credit-In-Kind from US$392.3m in 2013 to US$215.23m in 2014; Programme, 1,600 superior Guinea fowl keels have been supplied to women and youth in the • Three hundred and thirty-six (336) units of Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions; equipment comprising 147 tractors, 92 power tillers, 55 rice threshers, 31 rice reapers and 11 rice • Under the Livestock Development Project (LDP), mills with their respective components were 40,800 small ruminants (sheep and goats) were assembled for farmers and many more are supplied to 4,500 farmers in 35 districts in seven being distributed; regions; • An increase in the total number of Agricultural • Under the pilot phase of the Ghana Broiler Mechanisation Service Centres (AMSECs) from Re-vitalization Project launched in July 2014, 57 in 2009 to 89 in 2014, resulting in an increase 650,000 birds were raised, processed and sold in the total area of farms serviced by AMSECs by 2015. from 191,520 acres in 2009 to 299,040 acres in 2014; OUR COMMITMENT • Total area of irrigated land has increased from (2017-2021) 111,516 hectares in 2010 to 221,000 hectares in March 2016; Strategies for Agriculture Transformation • To further improve rain-fed rice production, a The prospect for accelerated transformation of

| 39 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

the economy lies in the opportunities that exist • Review the block-farming system to make it in the agriculture sector and their linkages to the more beneficial and sustainable; industry and services sectors. This will energise • Reinforce the Youth-in-Agriculture Programme the rural economy and reduce poverty and as a major component of the agriculture deprivation through expansion in employment transformation strategy; opportunities along the agriculture value chain. • Focus our industrialization efforts on the This transformation continues to be driven by provision of incentives for the establishment of the implementation of the Food and Agricultural industries that have backward linkages to our Sector Development Policy (FASDEP) II and the agriculture resource base; corresponding strategies as detailed in the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda • Construct storage facilities, including silos and (GSGDA) II. cold storage units at strategic locations, through a mix of strategies including Public-Private The key elements of the strategy are to: Partnerships, to minimize post-harvest losses; • Prioritise allocation of financial resources and • Expand the implementation of the West Africa essential infrastructure to catalyse development Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) II in the sector. and the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project • Provide support for the research institutions and (GCAP); agriculture departments of our universities, the • Support and encourage the private sector to Council for Scientific and Industrial Research play a greater role in introducing innovations (CSIR) among others to step up their work on such as financial intermediation, aggregation the development of certified seeds, breeding and barter services, weather and market data stock and improved farming methods; online services, extension services and provision • Strengthen farmers’ groups such as co- of agricultural inputs; operatives and farmer-based organizations • Promote the establishment of ‘Agriculture (FBOs); Estates’ to serve as major ‘production units’ of

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horticulture produce for import substitution, completes the legal framework for the raw material production and for export; establishment of the Ghana Commodities Exchange and its accompanying Warehouse • Continue to transform the agriculture sector Receipt System; from subsistence farming to commercial, mechanised and irrigation-based agriculture in • Revitalising the National Food Buffer Stock the medium to long-term; Company;

• Institute a Young Farmers category of the • Accelerating work on the implementation National Farmers’ Award scheme. of the African Union’s ‘Malabo Declaration’ on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Agriculture Mechanization and Farmer Support Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods adopted in 2014. The policy will focus on: • Expansion of Agriculture Mechanization Service Staple Crops Centres to cover more MMDAs; The NDC Government will launch a “Green • Establishment of Farmer Service Centres all over Revolution” aimed at doubling the output of the country. The first fifty of these are ready to staple crops, particularly grains and tubers take off in collaboration with SADA. The service by 2025. This will guarantee food security for centres will register and measure acreage of a growing population as well as provide the all farmers in their catchment area; provide raw material base for implementing our agro- them with mechanization support, agriculture industrial strategy. Within the period, Ghana extension advice, subsidized fertilizers, micro should become a net exporter of rice and maize, credit, and operate a buy-back scheme for the as well as become self-sufficient in poultry, sugar farmers produce; and tomato production. • Collaboration with the private sector to build the capacity of individuals and companies The goal will be driven by: and to commission the Technical Universities, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science • Facilitating the acquisition of land banks to and Technology (KNUST), Ghana Regional support commercial agriculture activities; Appropriate Technology Industrialisation • Introducing high-yielding, disease-resistant Service (GRATIS) and Suame Magazine seeds through support for seed production Industrial Development Organization (SMIDO), companies; to manufacture and fabricate basic farm equipment. • Making the most efficient use of existing irrigation facilities, as the pathways of climate Agriculture Finance change remain unpredictable; We will focus on: • Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map out soil structures and their chemical • Encouraging the Agricultural Development composition for the various MMDAs to support Bank (ADB) to dedicate an adequate portion of districts and, where appropriate, regional its loan portfolio to agriculture production; specialization in staple food production. • Similarly EXIM Ghana will also be encouraged to support agriculture; Cash Crops: • Providing farming and fishing inputs as well Cocoa as other agriculture-related infrastructure and Generating about 25% of total export earnings services; and providing employment for about 800,000 small-holder farmers, cocoa production offers • Introducing innovative and demand-driven crop opportunities to increase export earnings by insurance products to protect farmers against moving up the value chain into intermediate financial risks that emanate from droughts, processing and increasing export volumes by excessive rainfall and floods; improving yields. • Ensuring that the Ghana Stock Exchange The NDC’S record in annual volumes of

| 41 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION cocoa produced over the past fifteen years is locally (domestic and industrial) and work unparalleled. towards significant increase in exports; Currently, our yield is about 0.5 tonnes per • Replicate the 40,000 tonne capacity shea nut hectare. Less than 25% of cocoa beans are processing plant in the Upper West and Upper processed locally, allowing Ghana to capture only East regions and support value addition along about 5% of the US$28 billion global intermediate the value chain. cocoa processing industry. Cashew Nuts Over the next four years, we will: Given the huge domestic and global demand for • Adopt the plantation model under PPP cashew nuts, we will: arrangements to increase cocoa production • Establish the Cashew Board (CASHBOD), from 750,000 tonnes to over 1.5million tonnes approved by Cabinet, with its headquarters in by 2025; the Brong Ahafo Region; • Use GIS to map out all farms, particularly cocoa • Support the establishment of Cooperative farms to ensure targeted support in terms Producer Associations with technical support of fertilizer provision and extension service from extension officers to expand the delivery, alongside intensification of the mass production base of the industry; spraying exercise; • Ensure access by cashew farmers to export • Continue the provision of scholarships and finance under EXIM Ghana; modernization of roads in cocoa growing areas and other rural communities to facilitate the • Encourage the processing of at least 50% of evacuation of cocoa and food crops; cashew nuts for export; • Continue to distribute millions of hybrid • Operationalize the Cashew Development seedlings of cocoa per year to small-holder Strategy to increase production volumes and farmers up to 2018 and large-scale plantation value-addition activities along the cashew nut farmers up to 2022; value chain; • Promote the involvement of youth in the cocoa • Implement the National Export Development sector value chain; Plan (NEDP) 2016-2020 as it relates to cashew nut production. • At least maintain the percentage of the world market price of cocoa paid to farmers at the current level of over 70%; Cotton Ghana has the potential to produce 250,000 • Maintain the target of processing at least metric tonnes of cotton in the Northern, Upper 60% of cocoa beans produced in Ghana by East and Upper West regions. Policy initiatives supporting major chocolate manufacturing will centre on supporting 200,000 cotton farmers companies to establish processing plants; in the three regions to raise productivity and • Continue to expand warehousing facilities substantially increase total national production. alongside the implementation of the crop- In this regard, the NDC Government will maintain financing scheme. the current policy under which it will: • Enforce the existing zoning boundaries; Shea nuts • Lease the ginneries to the cotton growers; In the shea nut sub-sector, we will: • Strengthen and actively support cotton farmers • Revitalise the shea nut industry and take steps associations; to ensure increased yields; • Implement selected interventions along the • Provide support services including protective value chain with the objective of reviving the apparel for the female dominated shea nut local textile industry and stimulating demand picking activity; for their products. • Actively encourage utilization of shea butter Coffee

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The NDC Government through the Ghana • Efficient utilization of existing irrigation Cocoa Board is increasing intends annual coffee facilities especially in drought-prone areas: production from the current level of about 6,000 • Complete rehabilitation of viable but metric tonnes to about 100,000 metric tonnes non-functional and abandoned irrigation in the short term and to about 200,000 metric infrastructure, particularly the Kpong, Tono, tonnes by 2025. Bontanga and Vea irrigation schemes; Five million improved coffee seedlings are being • Implementation of the Accra Plains Irrigation nursed and supplied to farmers. This number will project; be substantially increased annually, to ensure that both the medium and long-term targets are • Development of the following irrigation projects achieved. – Kamba (Upper West Region), Tamne (), Amartey (Eastern Region), Mpruem Oil Palm (Eastern Region) and Wli (Volta Region); Ghana remains one of the major oil palm • Provision of on-farm boreholes; producers in Africa and has over one million hectares of land suitable for its cultivation. • Implementation of measures to promote the Given the current average output of about six use of non-contaminated water for vegetable tonnes per hectare, targeted strategies will be production; implemented to improve productivity. • Support for the implementation of the Ghana As global demand for vegetable oil increases, Irrigation Development Policy of developing the NDC Government plans to exploit Ghana’s appropriate and affordable irrigation schemes, comparative advantage to become a net exporter dams and other rain-water harvesting of oil palm. techniques for different categories of farmers and in the various ecological zones; Horticulture • Development of 10,000 hectares for the Nasia- With increasing demand for horticultural Nabogo rice irrigation project in the Northern produce, especially vegetables, fruits and fruit- Region; juices, opportunities abound for the production, processing, consumption and export of • Irrigation of 150,000 hectares of land under the horticultural produce. Pwalugu multi-purpose hydroelectric scheme. Poultry and Livestock The NDC Government will: The NDC government will continue to provide nucleus population of broiler parents as the • Train young people in commercial and modern sustainable source of day old chicks for the greenhouse vegetable production; poultry industry with the support of EXIM • Adopt irradiation technology in the reduction of GHANA and other financial institutions. post-harvest losses; Other initiatives will include support for large-scale production of domestic poultry, the • Continue to train out-grower farmers in all establishment of hatcheries, feed mills and processes required under good agricultural processing plants. practices with emphasis on the harvesting and handling of horticulture crops particularly exotic In the other areas of the poultry and livestock vegetables. sub-sector, the NDC Government will: • Diversify the sources of the breeding stock particularly from the Sahel region to support Irrigation the sustainable development of the livestock Modernized agriculture thrives on better sub-sector irrigation systems (powered by solar pumps • Support the large-scale breeding and where appropriate). We will therefore continue production of guinea fowls to boost the poultry to develop efficient irrigation systems to support industry; all-year-round farming. The following initiatives will be undertaken: • Accelerate private sector investment in poultry

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and livestock production by leveraging funding • Almost completed a new 100 metric tonnes per for the procurement of poultry and piggery day fish processing factory at ; infrastructure, equipment and other processing • Completed the construction of modern cold facilities including slaughtering and packaging; stores at Prampram, Nyanyano, Shama, Sekondi- • Continue to support the Ghana Broiler Takoradi, and Kormantse; Revitalization Project targeted at the production • Facilitated the acquisition and distribution of of at least one million broilers per year; about 2,000 outboard motors to fishermen; • Increase support to private sector enterprises • Commenced work on the Fisheries College at involved in animal feed formulation as well as Anomabo; hatcheries. • Installed tracking devices on all industrial A current threat to the livestock industry is trawlers and tuna vessels to control illegal the free range grazing method of nomadic fishing; herdsmen. To deal with this threat, we will: • Commenced the distribution of fish finders to • Take steps to address the recurring conflict local fishermen. between nomadic herdsmen and food crop farmers, which has had devastating Our Commitment (2017 to 2021) consequences on the production of food crops; We will • Develop a zone in the sparsely populated parts • Continue to ensure that Ghana’s fishery of the Savannah belt with water ponds and resources are protected from encroachment by barrage dams to relocate cattle herds from the foreign vessels; Agogo, Kumawu, Afram Plains and parts of the Eastern Region; • Eliminate the use of unapproved nets and unorthodox methods of fishing, including the • Ensure strict enforcement of the relevant laws; use of dynamite, carbide, light and poisonous • Adopt GPS (Global Positioning System) chemicals; technology to map-out the trails of this • Complete the construction of landing sites, cold transhumance activity across the country; stores and fishing harbours; • Develop regulations to get cattle owners to • Establish alternative livelihood programmes in adopt the ranch system (fence-in/fence-out) the fishing communities; and keep cattle in kraals; • Rehabilitate the Albert Bosomtwe Sam (ABS) • Encourage MMDAs to support the Fishing Harbor in Sekondi to serve the fishing establishment of fodder banks in their areas of communities in and around the Sekondi- jurisdiction for the development of livestock as Takoradi metropolis; a source of additional revenue; • Complete the construction of landing sites • With private sector partnership, revamp the at Tepa-Abotoase, , Tongor-Dzemeni, Wulugu livestock project; Mumford, , James Town, Keta, - • Continue provision of dugouts in the Savannah Torkor and under a West Africa Regional zone for livestock watering and small Fisheries Project (WARFP); agricultural activity. • Complete the fish processing plant at Elmina; • Complete the Fisheries College at Anomabo to Fisheries provide the human resource requirements for The fishing industry is crucial in our protein the transformation and modernization of the energy needs. Ghana’s per capita fish fishing industry; consumption is between 23 to 25kg per year, • Ensure adequate and timely supply of higher than the world average of 13kg. premix fuel and monitor the proper use of Our Achievements any surpluses for community development initiatives; To be able to sustain the fishing industry we have: • Improve the timely supply of outboard motors

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to fishermen at landing beaches; INDUSTRY • Scale up the distribution of GPS-based fish Over the last four years, our industrial finders to increase fish catch. development strategy has aimed at linking industrialization to Ghana’s natural endowments AQUACULTURE in agriculture, oil and gas, minerals and Aquaculture has a high potential to bridge the tourism. This strategy has recorded significant supply-demand gap for fish and fish products. It is achievements including the establishment of the a highly productive economic activity that has the following: potential of creating thousands of sustainable • Komenda Sugar factory jobs. With the implementation of the Ghana • Kumasi Shoe factory National Aquaculture Development Plan (2012- • Ghana Gas Processing Plant, Atuabo 2017), fish products increased significantly from • Volta Star Textiles, Juapong 19,000 metric tonnes in 2011 to 46,250 metric • Savannah Cement Factory, Buipe tonnes in 2014, culminating in an increase of • Ceramics Manufacturing, Eshiem over 726% since 2008. Consequently, importation • Revamped Tema Oil Refinery of fish declined from 145,910 metric tonnes to • Revamped BOST Company 102,875 metric tonnes between 2011 and 2014. Additionally, as a result of the sound policy and regulatory environment, there has been increased private sector investment and activity OUR COMMITMENT in industrial production in agro-processing, local (2017-2021) manufacturing of drugs and cement production, among others. The sector recorded a growth rate Over the next four years we will: of 9.1% in 2015, as compared to 0.8% in 2014. • Promote shrimp-farming on commercial basis in In the next four years, the NDC Government the Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern regions to will emphasize a new era of industrialization, create 76,000 jobs; based on reliable and regular power supply being developed with gas from the • Provide high-value fingerlings to support hydrocarbon fields. We will also promote fish-farming in selected communities through Local Economic Development based on the the rehabilitation and construction of public resource endowments of the districts, as well as hatcheries; support the establishment of strategic import • Continue the nucleus out-growers scheme in substitution industries. aquaculture; • Roll out a revolving fund to support OUR COMMITMENT aquaculture; (2017-2021) • Continue the expansion in cage-fish farming on the Volta Lake and other water bodies; Industrial Sector Development Strategies • Support aquaculture development on the In the period 2017 to 2021 we will pursue the Bui Lake in collaboration with the Bui Power following: Authority and on other major rivers across the • An Integrated Aluminum Industry country; o Revitalisation of VALCO as the off-taker for the • Implement the project for fish production upstream integrated aluminium industry; at Pwalugu in collaboration with the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority; oIndustrial salt production - double the current national output of 300,000 tonnes; • Ensure the attainment of the Ghana National Aquaculture Development goal of producing oCaustic soda production - utilize the increased 100,000 tonnes of fish by 2020; production of salt for local production of caustic soda for alumina and soap production; • Ensure the production of high-value fish-feed in collaboration with the private sector. oChlorine production - utilize the increased production of chlorine as a by-product of caustic

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soda production as raw material for the petro- The PSC Tema Shipyard (and drydock) has chemical industry and for the production of been handed over to the Ghana Ports & plastics. It will also help reduce the import bill of Harbours Authority (GPHA) for retooling and chlorine for raw water treatment. modernization. This has already led to an expansion in the business of the shipyard. • Fertilizer Production During our next term we will seek to make the The NDC Government will accelerate the shipyard the foremost ship-building and repair process for the establishment of the fertilizer facility in the Gulf of Guinea. plant at Shama in the Western Region using gas from Atuabo, the additional imminent gas to • Agro-Industrialization be produced from the TEN and the US$7 billion Small scale on-farm processing to support ENI/Sankofa fields. value-addition to cocoa, oil palm, cotton, • Mineral Processing mango, shea nut, pawpaw, citrus, sugarcane, pineapple and cashew nuts will underpin We will support the processing of our minerals, our agro-processing industrial strategy as we especially the refining of gold. continue to pursue large-scale agro-processing • Steel Mills under the agenda for transformation through diversification and value addition. Based on the increased thermal power generation, we will support the private sector Commission a feasibility study towards the to undertake exploitation and refining of the revival of all Nkrumah era industries, e.g. the massive iron ore deposits at Oppon Manso in Abosso Glass Factory. the Western Region, Sheini in the Northern Region, Pudo in the Upper West Region and LANDS AND FORESTRY Kyebi in the Eastern Region. • Glass, Bottle, Rubber and Ethanol Production Forests We will also use the availability of excess power The NDC Government has put in place policies to promote the establishment of plants for and programmes for the effective management glass and bottle-making as well as rubber and of our forest reserves. ethanol processing factories. • Ceramics, Bricks and Tiles OUR ACHIEVEMENTS The increased thermal power generation from our natural gas reserves will, in the years We have achieved the following: ahead, provide the heat energy required for the • Under the Sustainable Land and Water sustainable manufacturing of ceramics, bricks Management Project (SLWMP), 400 hectares and tiles. of the Kulpawn and Ambalara Forest Reserves • Light Manufacturing were re-forested, an ecotourism strategy for the Our industrialization programme will also focus Western Wildlife Corridor was developed and on light manufacturing in areas such as wood inputs like fertilizer, seeds and tree seedlings processing, beverages, metallurgical industries, were supplied to farmers in 72 communities for pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments. the implementation of sustainable land and water management; • Machine Tools • Reforestation of additional 200 hectares of The Suame Magazine Industrial Development the Kulpawn and Ambalara Forest Reserves; Organisation (SMIDO), GRATIS, the National implementation of community activities like Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), soap production, honey-making, wild arts and KNUST, the technical universities and related wildlife rearing; and the provision of inputs organisations will be supported to play a pivotal like fertilizer, seeds and tree seedlings to 4,000 role in the establishment of industrial estates farmers for implementation of sustainable land for the manufacture of machine tools. and water management technologies in 118 • Shipyard and Drydock communities;

46 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2

• A Plantation Development Strategy (2015- Bolgatanga to operationalise the One-Stop 2040) has been developed as the blue-print Concept; for plantation development and landscape • Established twenty (20) new Customary Land restoration initiatives in Ghana; Secretariats (CLS) to improve land service • Public Private-Partnership agreements have delivery in the country; been signed with a number of companies to • Provided training and equipment for the (30) engage in commercial plantation development new and existing CLS to improve efficiency in in many degraded forest reserves and off- their operations; reserve areas across the country. • Prepared a draft Land Bill, which is currently OUR COMMITMENT undergoing stakeholder consultation (2017-2021) throughout the country to consolidate all land laws in the country for efficient land management and administration; The existing laws on safeguarding our forestry resources will continue to be applied and the • Commenced the creation of a Ghana Enterprise Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act Land Information System (GELIS) to provide 703) will be implemented. a holistic information system platform that allows all users of all relevant ministries and To safeguard our forests the next NDC agencies to carry out their day-to-day business Government will: processes efficiently and effectively in a digital • Distribute 20 million seedlings of various tree manner, using common database (registers species per year for re-afforestation; with no duplication of effort or data). • Support the large-scale production of acacia for the charcoal industry; OUR COMMITMENT (2017-2021) • Implement the Ghana Forest Investment Programme (FIP) to address the causes of deforestation; We will: • Convert the Atiwa Forest and Shai Hills Resource • Deepen the technological and legal reforms Reserve into National Eco-Tourism Parks; under the Land Administration Project/Town & Country Planning Department – Land Use • Continue to enforce the regulations on the Planning and Management Project (LAP/TCPD- prevention of mining in protected areas; LUMP); • Encourage high levels of co-operation among • Link the National Identification System being agencies such as the Forestry Commission, developed to land administration with the view Water Resources Commission, Minerals to enhancing easy identification of land owners Commission, Environmental Protection Agency should the need arise to avoid multiple sale of and the Ghana Water Company to safeguard lands; and protect all water bodies and watersheds; • Enact and implement the Land Use and Spatial • Continue to intensify efforts towards the Planning Bill with a view to regularizing the implementation of climate change adaptation land administration and planning system; and mitigation mechanisms and tap into the carbon credit market. • Support SADA to pilot the Land Trust Scheme to aid the orderly acquisition of land for both urban and rural investments; Lands • Ensure the speedy prosecution of protected area OUR ACHIEVEMENTS offences.

We have MINING • Established five Client Service Access Units OUR ACHIEVEMENTS in Accra, , Sekondi, Tamale and

| 47 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

We have OUR COMMITMENT • Enacted the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) (2017-2021) Act, 2015 (Act 900), which prescribes the We will: manner of payment of royalties, the prohibition of non-nationals from working in small-scale • Pursue the exploitation of our limestone, silica mines, the confiscation of equipment used in and bauxite reserves; illegal mining and sanctions for purchasing precious minerals without license; • Initiate the exploration of other industrial minerals to reduce over-dependence on a few • Reviewed the Newmont Mining Investment industrial minerals; Agreement to ensure that it is of greater benefit to Ghana; • Support the establishment of additional gold refineries; • Commenced processes to re-categorise small- scale mining operations to include a category • Enact a legislative instrument to back the full exclusively for artisanal operators who will be implementation of the Minerals and Mining grouped into cooperatives and supported with (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 900); suitable equipment; • Continue to enforce the law stipulating that • Carried out Alternative Livelihood Programmes small-scale mining is reserved for Ghanaians; (ALP) to mitigate the socio-economic impact of • Align gold exports to ensure maximum mining on host communities; repatriation of foreign exchange back to Ghana; • Developed a fully-fledged computerized mining • Establish a jewellery production village and cadastral system under a bilateral agreement gold market at Tepa in the Ashanti Region in with the Australian government which will collaboration with the Institute of Jewelry, ensure accountability and compliance in the KNUST; management of mineral rights; • Submitted a Ghana Geological Survey Authority • Introduce a new medium-scale mining category Bill to Parliament to convert the Ghana with increased obligations for responsible Survey Department into a semi-autonomous mining; organisation in order to enhance its functions • Continue to provide the platform for the and scope of operations and generally provide engagement of major stakeholders to ensure for its modernization; greater harmony and cooperation in mining • Established a modern jewellery shop at the communities; Precious Minerals Mining Company to improve • Take steps to reclaim degraded lands in mining the quality and quantity of jewelry produced for communities while ensuring the prevention of the local and export market; future degradation across the country; • Established two new gold refineries to refine • Implement a system to track heavy-duty gold locally to bring added value and make equipment (excavators and bulldozers) used refined gold available for local value-added in small-scale operations to help identify and production; arrest illegal miners. • Launched a Minerals and Mining Policy with a theme “Ensuring Mining Contributes to Sustainable Development” to ensure that TOURISM, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ARTS mining is done in a sustainable manner and that it is linked to other sectors of the economy; Our Achievements • Supported the establishment of the new The NDC government has undertaken the Asanko Mining Company at Manso Nkran in the following: Ashanti Region which has employed over 1,500 • Completed the construction of the Accra Visitors persons; Information Centre (AVIC) as a one-stop shop for • Established Municipal and District Mining tourism information; Committees in eight regions to monitor illegal • Released GH¢1million to Creative Arts small scale mining in the country.

48 | STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION THEME 2

Practitioners and mandated the Ghana Culture other internationally focused festivals; Forum to disburse same; • Accord export status to tourism by granting the • Ratified seven UNESCO Conventions to sector the benefits and concessions available ensure that the sector receives international under the EXIM Ghana; recognition and support for its development; • Establish additional District Tourism Offices • Concluded preparatory works for the to decentralize tourism administration in the redevelopment of the stretch of land from the country; Osu Castle to the Arts Centre into a world class • Improve collection of the Tourism Levy to tourism centre to be known as the Marine Drive; support on-going tourism programmes and • Encouraged the use of everyday local wear projects; to promote our culture, create employment • Complete all ongoing rehabilitation of regional and market opportunities for producers and centres of National Culture; entrepreneurs; • Strengthen national festivals of arts and culture, • Established the Tourism Development Fund and regional and national drama festivals for schools directed its utilisation to facilitate financing of and colleges, and youth and children’s cultural Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts programmes programmes and festivals; for the development of the sector. • Organise international exchange programmes for creative arts practitioners to enhance OUR COMMITMENT collaboration and improve the capacity of (2017-2021) Ghanaian creative artistes;

We will • Develop modalities to harness the potential of the chieftaincy institution for national • Increase the sector’s contribution to GDP and development. foreign exchange earnings, as well as provide sustainable employment and incomes; • Establish a Creative Arts Council and provide it with a Secretariat; • Resource the Ghana Tourism Authority to step up supervision, inspection and licensing • Enhance the operations of the Creative Arts of tourism enterprises, as well as develop Funding Pool, which was commenced with standards for new tourism enterprises; GHC1m in November 2015 with diversified sources of funding; • Complete the construction of the National Science and Technology Museum; • Commence a Provident Fund for ageing artistes; • Promote conference, package and medical • Facilitate the establishment of a ‘Film Village’ in tourism; partnership with the private sector. • Redesign the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park on the lines of Kumasi Rattray Park to enhance tourist activities at the park as a theme park for ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT GOVERNANCE children; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Continue the redevelopment of the Marine Drive Project in partnership with key stakeholders; Under the 2012 Manifesto, the following were achieved. • Create access and improve roads and other infrastructure leading to major tourism sites • Enactment of the Legislative Instruments such as Kakum National Park in the Central under the National Development Planning Region, Wli Falls in the Volta Region and the Boti Commission Act, 1994 (Act 479) and the Falls and Kintampo Falls in the Brong-Ahafo National Development Planning (System) Act, Region; 1994 (Act 480) to ensure the effective execution of the Commission’s mandate; • Rejuvenate Panafest, Emancipation Day and • Formulation of a National Spatial Development

| 49 THEME 2 STRONG ECONOMY FOR JOBS & TRANSFORMATION

Framework (NSDF) to guide the development • Develop a Management Information System for of a Management Information System (MIS) for tracking infrastructure development; tracking spatial investments; • Clarification of the respective roles of the • Continue to support the Savannah Accelerated National Development Planning Commission Development Authority (SADA) to provide and the Ministry of Finance to allow for better an effective framework for the accelerated synergy and synchronisation between the development of the SADA zone; development plan and the budget, and between the planning cycle and the budget cycle. • Establish the Western Corridor Development Authority (WECDA);

OUR COMMITMENT • Establish the Eastern Corridor Development (2017-2021) Authority (ECDA);

We will Establish the Forest Belt Development Authority • Conclude the 40-year Long Term National (FoBDA); Development Plan; • Coastal Plains Development Authority (CoPDA). • Implement the National Infrastructure Plan

50 | THEME THREE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT

| 51 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

The results of our massive infrastructure provision of social services. Based on our current expansion programme can be seen across the programme, we expect universal coverage by country. Its impact on the quality of life of our 2025. people is obvious. Notwithstanding the significant gains made, OUR ACHIEVEMENTS the NDC is poised to accelerate the provision of infrastructure to deepen the social and Major achievements in the water sector under economic benefits of our transformation our 2012 Manifesto commitments include: programme. In the next four years, the NDC • Kpone Water Supply Expansion Project government will adopt new developments in science and technology to provide impetus for • Kpong Intake Rehabilitation Project accelerated infrastructure development. • Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area Supply Project • Teshie- Sea-Water Desalination Plant • Asante Mampong Water Project WATER • Kyebi, , Osenase, Apedwa and Our investment in water supply has significantly Water Projects improved in terms of the percentage of our • Water Project population that currently has access to clean • Five-District Water Project – Phases I and 2 water. We have invested over $1.1 billion in • Akim-Oda--Winneba Water Project water supply, resulting in an increase in urban water coverage from 58.5% to 76%. Rural water • Konongo-Kumawu-Kwahu Water Project coverage has also increased from 56.5% to 76%. • Wa Water Project The extent of the improvement in the coverage • North Tongu Water Project is depicted in the table below. The remarkable • Adaklu Water Project achievement demonstrates our commitment to • Water Project the social democratic principle of equity in the • Small Town Water Systems across all regions

52 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

OUR COMMITMENT • 180Megawatts Second Stage of Sunon Asogli (2017-2021) Phase II • 340Megawatts Thermal Power Plant at Kpone We will by CenPower • Complete all ongoing water supply projects; • 20Megawatts Solar Power Plant at • Provide clean water to district capitals; Mankoadze • Expand water projects in , , • 370Megawatts dual fuel Thermal Plant at and others; Tema by AKSA • Provide clean water to all major health and educational facilities; OUR COMMITMENT • Protect water bodies to ensure that they (2017-2021) continue to provide sources of clean water and sustainable micro-climate. Given current economic and population growth projections, we commit ourselves to meeting the growing national demand for power SUSTAINABLE POWER estimated to grow at about 12% per annum and Sustainable power is at the heart of our work to make Ghana the power hub of West accelerated growth. Ghana faced successive Africa. periods (1983, 1998 and 2006/2007) of In the next four years, we will: prolonged load shedding and the recent power supply shortfall underscored the deficit • Increase our stock of power generation assets; in power generation. To prevent recurrence, • Continue to develop more sustainable power we have taken bold steps to fix the problem sources and encourage energy conservation; by improving generation, transmission and distribution of power in the last four years. In • Increase generation capacity in excess of line with the ‘Energy for All’ programme, about 5,000 Megawatts by 2021 and achieve 3,000 communities have been connected to the universal access to electricity by 2025. Some of national grid, raising access from 54% in 2008 to the targeted projects are: over 81% in 2015. o Construction of the 186 Megawatts Takoradi 4 Project; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS o Expansion of VRA and CENIT thermal plants at Tema by 126 Megawatts; Since 2012, the following projects in the power o Construction of 450 Megawatts thermal sector have been completed or are at various power plant at Domunli; stages of completion: o Construction of 700 Megawatts Clean Coal • 110Megawatts steam component of the T2 Power Project at Ekumfi Aboano. Power Plant at Aboadze We will also ensure the construction of the • 250Megawatts Ameri Power Plant following: • 225Megawatts Karpower Barge • 240Megawatts Amandi Power Project; • 220Megawatts Kpone Thermal Plant • 1,000Megawatts GE Ghana 1000 Power • 180Megawatts First Stage of Sunon Asogli Project; Phase II • 360Megawatts thermal power plant at • 38Megawatts TTP Plant Aboadze by Jacobsen Energy Ltd. • 2Megawatts Solar Power Plant at Navrongo We will further ensure that our planning and building regulations incorporate sustainable • 8Megawatts at Kaleo in the Upper West energy conservation in buildings at the design Region and construction stages.

| 53 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

Renewable Energy OUR COMMITMENT In line with the Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act (2017-2021) 832) we will We will • Increase Solar Power generation to 200Megawatts; • Complete the 150km reverse flow pipeline from the Aboadze power enclave to facilitate • Continue and expand 200,000 roof top solar the transmission of dense gas to power plants project; in Tema; • Support the Volta River Authority to construct • Implement Phase II of the Gas Processing a 75Megawatt Wind Park along the eastern Plant project in preparation for the Greater corridor of the Greater Accra Region to Jubilee development; generate power from wind; • Encourage more investment in exploration • Work with independent power producers and production of oil and gas; to commence the 150Megawatt Wind Farm project at Ayitepa in the Eastern Region; • Support the private sector to establish petrochemical plants; • Commence work on a 12 Megawatt grid- connected Solar Plant in the Upper West • Construct a new and bigger Liquefied Region; Petroleum Gas (LPG) pipeline to the jetty at Tema for more efficient discharge, storage and • Operationaliz the first 100Megawatt biomass distribution of LPG; electricity generation in collaboration with Norweigian investor. • Construct a second and bigger Single Point Mooring for petroleum products to ensure greater efficiency in the delivery of petroleum OIL AND GAS products into the country and to also make Ghana’s oil and gas sector has been significantly Ghana the petroleum hub for the sub-region; transformed under the NDC Government. • Build a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Relevant laws have been promulgated to infrastructure to ensure continuous supply of promote and regulate activities in the industry. natural gas to power plants; These laws have created a transparent oil and • Ramp up production at the Tema Oil Refinery gas production and management regime. (TOR) to its full capacity of 60,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd); OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Construct a new 100,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) refinery at the site of TOR based on the vision to make Ghana the hub for We have downstream petroleum production in West • Enacted the Petroleum Revenue Management Africa; Act, 2011 (Act 815), the Petroleum Commission • Encourage BOST and GOIL to implement a Act, 2011 (Act 821) and the Petroleum Local door to door LPG delivery system; Content and Local Participation Regulations 2013 (L.I.2204); • Complete the 2D land seismic survey in the Volta Basin. • Completed the Atuabo Gas Plant; • Commenced development of the Tweneboa- Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) fields; We will pursue initiatives to enhance the following: • Commenced development of the ENI/Vitol Sankofa fields; • Accountability and transparency in oil and gas resource governance; • Progressed in the installation of FPSO Prof. J.E.A Mills as part of the development of the • Efficiency in exploration and production of oil TEN fields. and gas resources;

54 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

• An enabling environment to attract necessary • Kasoa Bypass Road Project (Central Region) investment into the industry; • Agona-Junction-Elubo Road (Western Region) • Opportunities to progressively increase local • -Bogoso-Ayamfuri road (Western participation in mainstream operations of the Region) sector; • Buipe-Tamale Road (Northern Region) • Promote environmental, social and human rights to a standard that underpins • Fufulso-Sawla Road (Northern Region) sustainable development; • Tetteh Quarshie-Madina Road (Greater Accra • Improve policy formulation and regulatory Region) capacity of key public institutions in the oil • Madina-Pantang Road (Greater Accra Region) and gas sector; • Ayamfuri-Asawinso Road (Western Region) • Increase and strengthen local technical skills in Ghana’s emerging oil and gas sector, in • Eastern Corridor Road – Dodo-Pepesu- line with the Petroleum Local Content and Nkwanta, Asikuma Junction-, Nkwanta- Local Participation Regulations, 2013 (L.I.2204), Oti-Damanko, Oti-Damanko-Nakpanduri particularly in critical areas such as drilling, (Volta Region) seabed safety, production, operation and • -Adaklu-Ho Road (Volta Region) maintenance engineering, diving and under- • Ho-Fume Road (Volta Region) sea welding. • Nkawkaw-Atibie Road (Eastern Region) • -Kwame Danso-Kwadwokrom Road ROADS (Brong Ahafo Region) There has been unprecedented expansion in • Adomi Bridge Rehabilitation (Eastern Region) the road network of Ghana since 2009. We have constructed modern, durable and better roads • Accra-Tema Asphaltic overlay (Greater Accra across the length and breadth of the country. Region) This has ensured the free movement of goods • Takoradi Asphaltic overlay (Western Region) and services, and widened access to markets. • Nsawam-Apedwa Road (southbound) (Eastern Region) Some of the major roads projects, completed or ongoing, include: • Assin Praso-Bekwai Road, (Central/Ashanti Regions) • Giffard Road (Greater Accra Region) • - Road (Upper West Region) • Kasoa Interchange and related works (Central Region) • Navrongo-Tumu Road (Upper East/Upper West Regions) • Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange Project (Greater Accra Region) • Navrongo-Tono, Bolgatanga-Bongo and Winkongo-Tongo Road (Upper East Region) • Completion of Sofoline interchange project (Kumasi, Ashanti Region) • Bolgatanga- Road (Upper East Region)

• Awoshie-Pokuase Road (Greater Accra Region) Other road construction initiatives are • Burma Camp Roads 1 & 2(Greater Accra • The implementation of the District Capital Region) and Major Town Roads Improvement • Pedestrian footbridges at Tetteh Quarshie, Programme in the Volta, Central, Eastern, Mallam and Shiashie (Greater Accra Region) Ashanti, Northern and Upper West Regions. Some of the selected district capitals and • Pedestrian footbridges at KNUST Junction, major town roads being rehabilitated are Kumasi (Ashanti Region) Aflao, Mafi Kumasi, , Moree, Akim • Kansawrodo Bypass, Takoradi (Western , Somanya, Fomena-Old Ayaase, Bole and Region) ;

| 55 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

• The Cocoa Roads Programme, under which • Commencing work on two bridges over the over 50 contracts have been awarded in the motorway from Flower Pot Round-About on cocoa growing regions of the Ashanti, Brong the Spintex Road into East Legon and from Ahafo, Western, Central, Volta and Eastern Klagon into Ashaiman; Regions; • Commencing construction of the Obetsebi • The Feeder Roads Bridge Programme (FRBP) Lamptey interchange; under which 120 bridges have been completed • Constructing an interchange at Pokuase in the including bridges over the River Densu on the Greater Accra Region; Tetegu Junction-Tetegu road, the River Menu on the -Ketsi-Koensim-Domeabra road, • Commencing construction of Accra, Kumasi and the River Narkwa-Ochi on the Ajumako- and Tamale outer ring roads; Abeadzi-Gomoa Olefeku road. • Completing work on the Eastern Corridor Road; • Remodeling the Western Corridor Road;

OUR COMMITMENT • Continuing work on the Bolga-Bawku Road; (2017-2021) • Continuing the improvement of roads in the cocoa-growing areas under the Cocoa Roads improvement programme; In the next four years, we will accelerate the expansion of road network by • Creating access and improving roads leading to major tourism sites such as the Kakum • Completing on-going road projects; National Park in the Central Region, Wli Falls • Commencing work on the dualization of in the Volta Region and Lake Bosomtwe in the all our major highways, beginning with the Ashanti Region; Accra-Kumasi highway; • Installing solar-powered traffic lights at • Improving the network of roads between selected junctions and providing road-line regional and district capitals; markings and appropriate road signs to • Improving access roads to major health improve traffic management and road safety. facilities; In addition, we will • Creating more road linkages between various • Continue to improve access to our rural communities, especially areas with significant communities, farms and other socio-economic economic potential such as the Shai Osudoku centres by providing about 50 bridges on roads, Tema-Manhean-Bankuman-TOR- selected feeder roads which are rendered Aluworks-Kpone roads, and the Kpone-Michel impassable during the rainy seasons; Camp and Kwabenya-Kitase roads; • Continue to improve the condition of the • Dualisation of the Accra- Cape Coast- Takoradi national road network and provide safe and Road reliable trunk road network by implementing • Dualisation of the Tema- Afienya Road the following road projects: • Construction of the Ekye Amanfrom- o Tumu-Han (Upper West Region) Donkorkrom Road o Chuchuliga--Wiase (Upper East • Constructing community roads in Mataheko, Region) Russia, Soko, Peki and Zamramaline in Accra; o Navrongo-Chuchiliga-Tumu (Upper East/ • Improving road and drainage in our cities and Upper West Regions) towns including asphaltic surfacing, where o Daboya-Mankarigu-Wiase (Northern/Upper necessary; East Regions) • Continuing work on the expansion of the o Dorimon-Black Volta (Northern Region) Accra-Tema Motorway and Interchanges; o Wa- (Upper West/Northern Regions)

56 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

Circle Interchange o Walembelle-Santijan (Northern Region) TRANSPORT o Prang-Kintampo (BrongAhafo Region) Significant improvements have been achieved in all the transport sub-sectors namely maritime o Karaga-Gushiegu (Northern Region) and inland water, aviation, railway and road o Nkwanta-Oti Damanko (Volta Region) transport. o Sakpiegu-Chereponi (Northern Region) Maritime & Inland Water o Juapong-Adidome (Volta Region) Recent developments in the commercial trade o Dodowa-Afienya (Greater Accra Region) and oil and gas sectors have resulted in major demand for port facilities. Ongoing expansion o Apedwa-Bunso (Eastern Region) of the ports is aimed at providing the necessary o Todome-Tongor Dzemeni (Volta Region) physical facilities to respond to the increase in vessel traffic by providing increased container o Akwetey-Waya-Mafi Kumasi (Volta Region) handling capacity and additional berths, among o -Mumuni Junction-Mumuni others. (Western Region) o Biriwa-Asafora-Nsanfo-Nkramofokrom OUR ACHIEVEMENTS (Central Region) • Major expansion works at Takoradi port o Waya- (Volta Region) including extension of the breakwater and o -Sampa Phase III (Dibibi-Sampa) dredging, reclamation and construction of the (Brong Ahafo Region) quay wall; • Over US$1.3 billion expansion works at Tema o -Nsawkaw Phase II (Brong Ahafo port including Region)

| 57 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN o A Bulk Cargo Handling Jetty; Aviation o Dredging, reclamation and construction of Significant investments have been made in the breakwater and container terminals; aviation sector to expand facilities and cater for o Access road from the port to the motorway passenger throughput. and o Expansion works on the motor way from four OUR ACHIEVEMENTS to six lanes; Some of our achievements are • A new Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS); • Construction of an ultra-modern terminal at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA); • Three units of 50-seater Passenger Ferries on the Volta Lake and one unit passenger/cargo • Refurbishment and expansion of the arrival ferry for cross-ferry services. hall at KIA; To complete the advances being made in • Completion of the first phase of the Kumasi maritime transport, we have enacted the International Airport; Maritime Pollution Act, 2016 to improve security • Completion of the first phase of the Tamale and reduce pollution in Ghana’s Maritime International Airport; jurisdiction. • Upgrading of the Wa Airstrip; • Commencement of work on the Ho Airport. OUR COMMITMENT Other interventions include (2017-2021) • Processing the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (Amendment) Bill for enactment to ensure To accelerate the rate of maritime safety at our airports and in our airspace; infrastructural development, we will • Ratification by Parliament of a number of • Continue to invest in the modernisation, international protocols on aviation. expansion and improvement of our ports; • Support the revival of the Black Star Line as a subsidiary of GPHA to increase employment OUR COMMITMENT opportunities for Ghanaian seafarers; (2017-2021) • Commission pre-feasibility study on the potential of a deep-sea port at Keta; We will • Construct improved landing sites on the Volta • Complete ongoing projects at the Kotoka Lake; International Airport (KIA); • As part of the Eastern Corridor Multi-modal Transport Project, upgrade the and • Complete the construction of Terminal Three at the Kotoka International Airport; Buipe Ports with modern equipment to ensure efficiency of transportation on the Volta Lake; • Construct Phase II of the Kumasi International Airport to include a new terminal building • Continue the removal of tree stumps from the and an extension of runway to accommodate Volta Lake to facilitate bulk haulage of cargo medium wide bodied jets; from Akosombo to the three northern regions • Complete the bulk cargo handling jetty as well as neighboring countries; project at KIA; • Work with the International Maritime • Construct Phase II of the Tamale International Organisation to improve safety in Airport to include new passenger and Hajj Ghana’s territorial waters, in line with our terminals; international obligations; • Complete the Ho Airport; • Develop a holistic transport security policy manual. • Develop the Wa Airstrip into a modern aerodrome open to commercial flights;

58 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

Kojokrom Railway Lines

• Construct new airstrips in Cape Coast, rail network and also expand to other parts of Koforidua and Bolgatanga; the country. • Upgrade the Airport • Continue implementation of the policy to OUR ACHIEVEMENTS construct a minimum of an airstrip in every region; We undertook the following • Complete the process of partnering a private • Commenced preparatory work towards the sector operator to re-establish a new national construction of the Eastern Railway line from carrier; Tema to Kumasi via the Boankra Inland Port; • Separate Air Navigation Services from • Commenced work on the construction of regulation by Ghana Civil Aviation Authority; the Sekondi-Takoradi via Kojokrom suburban • Construct an Air Navigation Centre to further railway line to revamp rail commuter services enhance safety of aircraft operations; between the twin cities; • Continue preparatory work on a new airport • Completed Front End Engineering Design city in the Dangbe West District of the Greater (FEED) on the Western Railway Line (Kojokrom- Accra Region. Awaso through Dunkwa to Kumasi); • Commenced preparatory work on the Tema- Railway Akosombo Railway Line. NDCs next term in office will see a massive expansion of the railway sector and usher us OUR COMMITMENT into an era of new glory days for the railways. (2017-2021) The railway sub-sector is a crucial component of our transformation agenda. We will • Commence work on the construction of Consequently, we have developed a Railway the Western Railway line (Kojokrom-Awaso Masterplan to upgrade the stock of our existing through Dunkwa to Kumasi);

| 59 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

• Commence work on the reconstruction of the • Continue to procure more buses for mass Eastern Railway line from Tema to Kumasi via transit. the Boankra Inland Port; • Complete work on the construction of the ICT AND TELECOMMUNICATION Sekondi-Takoradi via Kojokrom sub-urban railway line; In furtherance of our commitment to utilise ICT to promote an all-inclusive information • Commence work on the Tema - Akosombo and knowledge society, we have opened up the Railway Line; information superhighway and offered teaching • Complete feasibility and commence work on and learning opportunities to Ghanaians. Northern line to link Burkina Faso; We have created greater access to information • Build suburban lines between Accra- and communication. Areas which hitherto were -Nsawam and between Kumasi- left out of the major transformation taking . place in ICT and science are now being served. The ICT landscape is evolving very fast and the digital economy is becoming a reality. 4G Road Transport Services technology is here with us and 5G is beckoning. Road transport remains the main mode of transportation in Ghana. Government has partnered the private sector to invest OUR ACHIEVEMENTS significantly to improve the road transport In the last four years, we have sector and will continue to do so. • Completed the 800km Eastern Corridor Fibre Our Achievements Optic Project to serve over 120 communities Some of the major interventions have included: along the route from Ho to Bawku, with a link • Retooling of the State Transport Company from Yendi to Tamale; (STC); • Increased telephone subscriptions three-fold • Introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT); from about 11million in 2008 to over 33million by the end of 2015; • Provision of additional buses for the Metro Mass Transit (MMT); • Deployed 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology; • Provision of taxis and mini buses by MASLOC for private sector transport operators; • Deployed the e-Transform Project under which we are implementing the e-Health, • Enactment of the relevant legislative e-Education, e-Justice, e-Cabinet, e-Parliament instrument to enable the DVLA enforce its and e-Immigration projects which seek to powers and clean up driver licensing and inject greater efficiency into public service vehicle registration. delivery; • Commenced the Tertiary Institution OUR COMMITMENT Connectivity Programme to provide (2017-2021) infrastructure and connectivity to institutions such as the University of Ghana (UG), We will Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of • Continue to expand bus services and Development Studies (UDS) and University terminals to more destinations through inter College of Education, Winneba (UCEW); and intra city services; • Constructed over 50 Enhanced Community • Partner with private transport operators to Information Centres (e-CICs) equipped improve public road transport; with modern ICT facilities. Some of the • Establish a regulatory body for the road beneficiary communities are Keta, Battor, transport sector; Techiman-Krobo, Twifo Atti-Morkwa, Bodi,

60 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

National Data Centre

Effiduase, Pantang Presby Cluster of Schools, cyber-attacks; Drobonso, Asuogyaman, Lambussie, Nandom, • Completed the first phase of the digital Welembelle, Sagnarigu, Pusiga, , broadcasting migration process; Kpetoe, Talensi, and Lassia-Tuolu; • Formulated four policies culminating in • Completed the Business Processing the issuance of the Mobile Virtual Network Outsourcing facility expected to create close Operating License, Interconnect Clearing to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs; House License, International Wholesale Carrier • Trained over 2,000 girls from public License and Unified Telecom License; schools under the ‘Girls in ICT’ project to • Amended the Electronic Communications encourage females into the ICT and the Act, 2008 (Act 775) to provide among others telecommunication sector; punitive measures to curb sim boxing; • Trained over 300 youth in specialized and • Enacted the Postal and Courier Service professional ICT course at the Kofi Annan ICT Regulatory Commission Regulations. Centre; • Offered scholarships to ten (10) staff of the Ghana Meteorological Agency for further OUR COMMITMENT studies in Forecasting; (2017-2021) • Completed the National Data Center in Accra with a secondary site in Kumasi; We will • Operationalised the Data Protection • Commence the development of ‘Smart Cities’ Commission to enhance confidence and trust and ICT Parks; in the use and transmission of personal data; • Expand e-Services and under the • Set up a Computer Emergency Response Team e-Government Project, roll out the Total under the cyber security strategy to counter Revenue Integrated Processing System to 32

| 61 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

Ghana Revenue Authority offices to further for research and development in science and improve the tax collection system to enhance technology; government revenue mobilization; • Established the Ghana Space Science Institute • Ensure Analogue Switch Off and complete the and refurbished the radio antenna at digital migration process by 21st September Kuntunse for space, science and technology 2017; studies; • Implement the National Cyber Security Policy; • Completed the School of Nuclear and Allied • Facilitate the passage of the Broadcasting Bill; Sciences Faculty Block B and Hostel Block B • Continue the implementation of the facility; e-Transform Project; • Enacted the Nuclear Regulatory Act 2015 (Act • Continue the Tertiary Institution Connectivity 895) and established an Independent Nuclear Programme; Regulatory Authority; • Improve telephony connectivity especially in • Established the Ghana Nuclear Energy the rural communities; Programme Implementation Organisation and Nuclear Power Institute to oversee the nuclear • Continue to extend ICT services to deprived power programme for electricity generation; communities; • Introduce domestic roaming in the telecom • Upgraded the radiotherapy facilities in Korle sector; Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for efficient treatment and • Continue building and equipping the management of cancer; Enhanced Community Information Centres (e-CICs); • Upgraded the Gamma Irradiation facility at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission for • Expand the fiber optic network to cover food preservation and sterilisation of medical universities, schools, research and other products; relevant state institutions; • Utilised research findings as follows: • Complete the Ghana-Mauritius ICT Park Project; o Introduced over one thousand (1,000) small- • Operationalise the National Data Centre holder rice farmers to the Sawah Technology and ensure that organisations commence for rice production; uploading of relevant data in a timely manner; o Developed improved varieties of pepper and • Integrate the diverse biometric databases; eggplant for increased productivity; • Work with the Bank of Ghana and other o Expanded ARIBRO day old chick development stakeholders to ensure a full cash-lite society programme to ensure regular supply of by 2020; quality and relatively cheaper source of day old chicks for the poultry industry; • Set up free WiFi hotspots in secondary and tertiary institutions. o Developed a new strain of the Akosombo Nile Tilapia that grows 40% faster than those in the wild; SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION o Installed rain water harvesting system in Through increased application of science and senior high schools and residential houses; technology in all segments of society, we are o Piloted the construction of bio-sanitation gradually moving towards a knowledge-based toilets in thirty (30) senior high schools in society. Accra;

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS o Trained artisans in the use of burnt bricks and burnt pavement slabs in the construction of affordable houses; We have achieved the following: o Developed pozzolana-lime paste and salt- • Established a National Accelerator facility

62 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

resistant bricks technologies; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Developed spatial databases for all two hundred and sixteen (216) districts. Among our achievements have been the following: • Developed an Ecotourism strategy for the OUR COMMITMENT Western Wildlife Corridor; (2017-2021) • Launched the Ghana Forest Investment Programme to help address the underlying We will drivers of deforestation; • Initiate the establishment of a national • Engaged the private sector in ‘Reducing institution for Nano-Science, Material Science Emissions from Deforestation and Forest and Biotechnology; Degradation for Sustainable Development’ to enhance regeneration of natural forests and • Continue to adopt the peaceful use of nuclear agroforestry landscapes. energy in sectors such as agriculture, health and power to enhance national development; • Adopt an atomic energy policy and enact an OUR COMMITMENT enabling law to address operational issues (2017-2021) related to nuclear power generation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy in all sectors We will of the economy, as well as nuclear waste • Continue to work with all relevant partners in management and security, and adhere to the global community to take necessary steps relevant international and regional protocols; to reduce environmental degradation and • Expand the Mathematics, Science and pollution; Technology Scholarships Scheme (MASTESS); • We will establish an e-waste recycling plant • Collaborate with stakeholders to provide a at Agbogbloshie to provide employment and permanent campus for the African Institute protect e-waste scrap dealers from hazardous for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Ghana; material • Work towards attaining the national • Compile a directory of all existing ex-situ objective of 60:40 admission ratio in tertiary (off-site) components of biological diversity in institutions in favour of the sciences; Ghana; • Work with the private sector to commercialize • Identify and protect priority species research output. and genetic resources in need of urgent conservation efforts; • Implement the National Biodiversity Plan; ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE • Intensify implementation of the regulations The challenge for us and for human kind is to on the wood and forestry sub-sectors. work towards reducing the adverse effects of A key component of our strategy will be the environmental degradation and climate change implementation of a national programme on for sustainable development. ‘Greening the Economy’. This will entail: Environment • Placing emphasis on ‘Green Jobs’ to promote The NDC Government has been working environmental sustainability; towards strengthening institutional and • Making the creation of a ‘Green Economy’ a regulatory frameworks for sustainable major pillar of the long-term development environment and natural resource management plan; and adopted strategies to withstand the likely impact of environmental degradation. • Implementing the ‘Greening Ghana’ policy starting with the capital city Accra where

| 63 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

various types of flowers, shrubs and trees will • Commenced implementation of a policy to be planted along the roads, in public places, have every home provided with toilet facilities schools and parks to beautify and transform in a bid to check open defecation; the face of the city, to create environmental • Carried out continuous desilting and dredging balance and to enhance touristic value; of the Odaw Channel, the Korle Lagoon and • Supporting the nurturing and planting of tree the Klottey Lagoon and massive garbage seedlings across the country; collection and clearance activities in Accra to • Integrating environmental sustainability into contain flooding of the city. all local development plans. We are also pursuing the Accra Sanitation Sewer and Storm Water Drainage Alleviation Project which covers Korle Lagoon revitalisation, IMPROVING SANITATION Odaw Channel cleaning and restoration, waste The NDC acknowledges the benefit of a healthy management master planning and covering of environment to the citizenry and country. The high priority drains, among others. government has rolled out initiatives to deal The project will ensure with the impact of poor sanitation on the health of our people as well as some of our educational • The upgrading of sewer and drainage and tourism assets. infrastructure including desilting, dredging, new siltation ponds and removal of refuse from priority drains and lagoons; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Construction of public toilets; • Enhancement of solid waste collection We have activities and equipment; • Successfully executed the National Sanitation • Increase in solid waste recyclable sorting Day exercise throughout the country; capacity; • Distributed over one hundred thousand • Provision of community waste management (100,000) waste bins; and recycling education; • Constructed, rehabilitated and extended the • Restoration of the wastewater treatment existing sewerage networks at the University plants. of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), This project will not only solve the flooding Achimota School and its environs, University and sanitation problems, but will also create of Ghana main campus, Staff Village and prime locations and increase revenue within the Presbyterian Boys SHS covering 8.4km of capital city. new sewers, 50km of old sewers and 3,000 manholes of the sewerage system; • Commenced the construction of 15km of new OUR COMMITMENT sewers to connect Dansoman (Shiabu and (2017-2021) Mampong Okine areas) to the Central Accra Sewerage System as well as the rehabilitation We will of approximately 80km of old sewers and 15,000 manholes of the sewerage system. • Ensure the completion of the Accra Sanitary This project is estimated to benefit 350,517 Sewer and Storm Water Drainage Alleviation persons in the southern part of Accra; project; • Identified the bio-fill toilet technology • Construct bio-fill toilets in public buildings; as the most appropriate and indigenous • Fit school dormitories and hostels with bio- modern technology for public basic schools gas facilities for use in cooking; and completed 10-seater pilot bio-fill school toilets; • Enact a legislative instrument on the National Sanitation Day;

64 | INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN THEME 3

• Create a National Sanitation Authority; • Strive to end open defeacation by 2021; OUR COMMITMENT • Ensure proper management of source waste (2017-2021) separation; • Ensure the use of bio-fill toilet technology to We will improve sanitation facilities in public schools; • Intensify the characterisation and conservation • Introduce biogas generation in public of genetic resources nationwide; institutions; • Invest in ‘climate smart agriculture’; • Complete the construction of the Mudor Fecal • Establish marine protected areas along the Treatment Plant at Lavender Hill in Accra; coastal areas; • Support the construction of the Accra • Accelerate the implementation of National Compost and Recycling plant and site a Buffer Zone Policy for rivers and protected second recycling plant in Kumasi; areas; • Establish the Plastic Waste Recycling Fund • Support the protection of wildlife in provided for under the Customs and Excise conservation zones; (Duties and Other Taxes) (Amendment) Act, • Protect important wet-lands from 2013 (Act 863) into which a percentage of encroachment; revenues derived from plastic imports will be • Ensure effective management of biodiversity paid to be used for the recycling of plastics; hotspots; • Establish plastic waste receiving centres for • Strive to meet the commitments made in the recycling in every district to receive, shred and Nationally Determined Contribution to the compact waste for onward transportation to efforts to reduce global warming contained in recycling factories. the Paris Climate Change Agreement. HOUSING CLIMATE CHANGE The NDC Government is taking concrete steps to respond to the increasing housing demand. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS Alongside the private sector, we have embarked on an aggressive housing programme targeted at middle to lower income earners in urban and In a bid to enhance capacity to adapt to climate rural areas. change and mitigate its impact, the NDC Government has implemented the following: OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Initiated the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Programme; Some of the interventions are listed below and • Set up and operationalised the National are at various stages of completion: Climate Change Steering Committee; • Construction of 5,000 affordable housing units at Saglemi in the Greater Accra Region; • Undertaken preparatory works for the implementation of the Adaptation Fund • Construction of 168 housing units for the Project in the three Northern Regions; security services; • Construction of a 5,000 housing-unit Estate • Prepared the ‘Green Economy Assessment and known as the ‘Nyame Dua Estate’ at Kpone in Action Plan’; the Greater Accra Region; • Trained key staff of all 216 Metropolitan, • Resumption of work on the construction of Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to the 4,720 affordable housing units started in mainstream ‘Green Economy’ in their District the Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti, Northern Development plans. and Upper West Regions in 2006.

| 65 THEME 3 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMEN

Sakumono Housing Project

OUR COMMITMENT • Ensure that MMDAs rationalise and expedite (2017-2021) the planning and building permit processes; • Review the existing building regulations to We will respond to emerging trends in the building sub-sector; • Complete housing projects currently underway; • Encourage MMDAs to get involved in the provision of rental units for low income • Establish a district-wide affordable housing earners; scheme in which 2-3 bedroom semi-detached houses will be built mostly with local material. • Continue the policy to use local and This will be a collaboration between BRRI, sustainable materials for building; Rural Housing, DACF and Habitat; • Adopt a comprehensive inner-city • Establish a special rent advance scheme in regeneration and urban renewal policy; which banks holding significant government • Establish a regulatory body to set and enforce accounts will be made to provide rent advance standards management, quality control and of between 1-2 years to enable workers with a capacity development in the built environment. regular income pay their rents;

66 | THEME FOUR TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

| 67 THEME 4 TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

Ghana’s impressive record of good governance • Installed a Digital Surveillance System over the past two and a half decades has at Parliament with CCTV cameras being gained universal acclaim. The NDC’s even more manned by a detachment from the Criminal impressive record of good governance in the Investigations Department of the Ghana last few years has manifested itself in the Police Service; following global acknowledgements: • Introduced dedicated live telecast of •2nd in Africa on the 2015 Rule of Law Index of proceedings of Parliament. the World Justice Project (WJP); • 5th in Africa on the 2015 Democracy Index by OUR COMMITMENT the Economist Intelligence Unit; (2017-2021) • 7th in Africa on the 2015 Corruption Perception Index of Transparency Intentional. We will The NDC continues to place a lot of emphasis on • Continue to support the development of the transparency, accountability and participatory human resource capacity of the Parliamentary democracy as the pillars of good governance. Service; We believe firmly that these pillars properly • Give meaning to the ‘Santiago Declaration anchored in our governance system, create an on Open Parliament’ by resourcing the enabling political space for the empowerment Legislature to enable citizens have access to of both state and non-state actors. Parliamentary proceedings; • Continue work on the e-Parliament component of the US$97 million e-Transform ENHANCING THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENT project; In recognition of the critical role the peoples’ • Continue to provide all MPs with Personal and representatives play in our democratic Research Assistants with a minimum of a first dispensation, we have committed ourselves degree at public expense with same tenure of to adequately resource Parliament to enable office as that of the MP; the people’s representatives’ discharge their constitutional mandate more effectively. • Continue work on the construction of additional office space for 23 MPs currently without offices; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Construct a Parliamentary Village to serve as We have duty posts for MPs in order to improve their security and protection. • Refurbished and reconfigured the historic ‘Job 600’ for use as office accommodation for Members of Parliament; ENHANCING THE RULE OF LAW AND JUSTICE • Expanded the House Chamber and renovated We are committed to enhancing transparent it to accommodate all 275 Members of open government, protection of fundamental Parliament (MPs); human rights, regulation enforcement, civil • Commenced implementation of the and criminal justice, access to justice, order and e-Parliament project; security, and anti-corruption measures. • Continued the process of assigning Research Assistants to Members of Parliament; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Established a Police Post at the Parliament We promised and delivered the following: House complex to provide enhanced security for the MPs, support staff and guests of • Completed the new court complex in Accra, Parliament; which houses 34 High Courts and a clinic for staff, among others;

68 | TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE THEME 4

• Provided for the transformation of the Legal OUR COMMITMENT Aid Board into an Independent Constitutional (2017-2021) Body in the Constitution (Non-Entrenched Provisions) (Amendment) Bill, 2015; We will

• Established a High Court within the precincts • Continue to support the Judicial Council in its of the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons as efforts to strengthen and enforce the Code of a way of bringing justice closer to the people Conduct for judicial officers; in Nsawam and its surrounding areas as well • Continue to enhance the Criminal Justice as facilitating the express hearing of criminal Delivery System by appointing District appeals filed before the court under the Attorneys (DAs) for the Metropolises, ‘Justice for All’ programme; Municipalities and Districts for the first time in the country’s history; • Implemented the e-Justice Project, including provision of video conferencing and tele- • Ensure the implementation of the presence equipment; recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission as approved in the Government • Accepted and commenced the White Paper; implementation of the recommendations • Collaborate with the Judicial Council to of the Commission of Inquiry into Judgment strengthen the capacity of the Justices of the Debts; Superior Courts of Judicature to deal with new and emerging issues; • Actively defended, locally and internationally, cases that could potentially have led to • Continue and scale up the implementation of judgment debt and by so doing prevented the the ‘Justice for All’ programme. payment of over GHC3.8 Billion.

New Court Complex

| 69 THEME 4 TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

COMBATING CORRUPTION OUR COMMITMENT (2017-2021) A moral and just society is a benchmark for good governance. Consequently, we have supported open investigations, exposed wrong-doing We will and initiated criminal prosecutions in a non- discriminatory manner. • Continue to support the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Development OUR ACHIEVEMENTS Planning Commission (NDPC) to monitor and co-ordinate the effective implementation We have introduced the National Anti- of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) and enacted (NACAP); the Legislative Instrument under the Public Office Holders (Assets Declaration and • Establish in the office of the Director of Disqualification) Act as two of the key measures Public Prosecutions, a Unit dedicated to anti- to fight corruption. corruption prosecutions, working with the anti-corruption institutions; We also undertook the following activities and programmes: • Continue to support the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) to combat money laundering • Set up a Commission of Inquiry with a Sole and terrorist financing within the existing Commissioner to investigate issues relating legislative framework; to Judgment Debts, and its far-reaching recommendations are being implemented; • Continue to take measures to actively fight • Inaugurated a High Level Implementation corruption; Committee that is overseeing the • Support effective investigations and implementation of NACAP. The first review prosecution of corrupt conduct as well as was completed in 2015; recovery of stolen assets; • Collaborated with the Chief Justice in efforts • Create civic awareness to enable the public to restore public confidence in the Judiciary demand accountability from public officials; following media revelations of alleged misconduct; • Promote integrity in the public sector by motivating and rewarding honest public • Made gains in the fight against cocoa officers; smuggling through successful prosecution of offenders; • Strengthen Anti-Corruption and Law Enforcement institutions. • Conducted a robust defence of all cases brought against government within Ghana IMPACT OF CYBER SPACE ON NATIONAL and abroad to prevent the payment of DEVELOPMENT unjustified judgment debts amounting to over GHC3.8 billion; Like other countries, Ghana is increasingly reliant on Information and Communication • Actively collaborated with the Financial Technology (ICT) for the progress of the Intelligence Centre to combat money nation. By exploiting the advantages created laundering; by automation, networked computers and • Drafted and submitted to Parliament for digital communication the economy has been passage the Witness Protection Bill, Conduct stimulated and growth enhanced. of Public Officers Bill, Right to Information Bill Management of the national electricity grid and the Whistle-Blowers (Amendment) Bill; benefits from ICT, election results are efficiently • Established a Citizens’ Complaints Centre in transmitted, a national database of biometric the National Capital, Accra, to collate data on records of citizens has been developed and complaints of corruption, mismanagement the banking sector utilizes ICT to improve the and other related matters. efficiency of payment systems.

70 | TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE THEME 4

However even as ICT opens up access and confronting the country; simplifies information management, criminal • Create the capacity to develop and manage elements continue to probe the systems to the structures needed to combat cyber-crime; identify weaknesses that can be exploited. • Enhance international cooperation by Protecting our national systems from criminal establishing a network with key partners in intrusion, what is called cyber security, has the global cyber security system; become the most critical national security objective in the near future. • Establish an elite national cyber security unit to coordinate cyber security operations, There are significant exposure risks in the use of harness existing skills and facilities and the internet, such as when Government officials develop an operational plan to combat the transmit confidential information utilizing threats that will be identified. insecure or unprotected private networks. But by far the most critical need is how to secure FIGHTING NARCO-TERRORISM our sensitive information and databases from cyber-attacks. We have maintained our strong stance against narcotics trafficking and have demonstrated The cyber security objective is to safeguard the our firm commitment to making Ghana a no-go integrity of our ICT infrastructure by eliminating area for drug traffickers and their hirelings. We • Hacking, which is the unauthorized entry and have restored confidence in Ghana’s ability to exploitation of the information in databases; collaborate with stakeholders, nationally and internationally to relentlessly combat narcotics • Mobile phone fraud; trafficking. This is demonstrated by the very • Financial fraud (Sakawa) and money effective anti narco-terrorism campaign waged laundering; by the NDC Government. • The use of our ICT assets to promote terrorist Consistent with our commitment, we were able activities. to achieve the following in the last four years: The NDC intends to implement a national cyber • Laid the Narcotics Control Commission Bill security policy and strategy to secure the data before Parliament to convert the Narcotics in Ghana’s networks and help protect sensitive Control Board into a Commission with more Government data, including information about effective and regulatory powers; individuals. • Substantially increased NACOB’s staff Governments are unable to fully regulate strength to enable it discharge its mandate; activities over the internet because it does not • Established a NACOB surveillance centre at occur in the physical environment, which is the Tema Fishing Harbour; easy to control in the nation-state. In Ghana, this weakness is compounded by weak and • Empowered NACOB to undertake campaigns uncoordinated responses to threats to the to create awareness about the negative national information infrastructure. effects of drugs; The pace of technology development has left • Instituted significant preventive and remedial many national institutions with technical mechanisms. capacity deficits. Law enforcement in particular is vulnerable and is under pressure to respond, OUR COMMITMENT but is yet to be adequately equipped with (2017-2021) tools and technical capacity to manage the specialized cases emerging. We will The next NDC administration plans to confront • Step up international cooperation in the fight four critical tasks: against the narcotics trade; • Improve the awareness of the risks • Complete the process of converting NACOB into a commission, and empower it to

| 71 THEME 4 TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

heighten vigilance and intensify the campaign Metropolitan, Municipal, District Coordinating of creating awareness about the disastrous Directors (MMDCDs) and Heads of effects of drug abuse; Department to promote more efficient and effective service delivery; • Strengthen the collaboration between NACOB and the Food and Drugs Authority in drug • Developed the Local Economic Development enforcement. (LED) Policy and the accompanying manual to help MMDAs mainstream LED activities into their Medium Term Development Plans; DEEPENING DECENTRALISATION AND • Implemented the Composite Budgeting LOCAL GOVERNANCE System in all 216 District Assemblies; Having introduced the most comprehensive • Provided for the decentralisation of the decentralisation policy in the 4th Republic, the Department of Women, Department of NDC Government continues to implement Children, Statistical Service, Rent Control reforms and develop the local government Unit and the School Feeding Programme into sector in the bid to bring government closer to Departments of MMDAs. the people, so as to respond to the development aspirations of the citizenry. OUR COMMITMENT (2017-2021) OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

We have We will • Formulated a new National Decentralisation • Fully implement the National Decentralization Policy Framework (2015 - 2019); Policy Framework II (2015-2019) and the National Decentralization Action Plan II (2015- • Commenced the implementation of the new 2019); National Decentralisation Action Plan (2015 - 2019); • Strengthen the Urban, Zonal, Town and Area Council and Unit Committee system to make • Submitted to Parliament a draft Consolidated it more effective; Local Governance Bill to consolidate and harmonise the following laws: • Initiate processes to implement the Constitution Review Commission’s o District Assemblies Common Fund Act, 1993 recommendation to pay Assembly Members’ (Act 455); allowances; o Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462); • Implement the Constitution Review o National Development Planning (System) Act, Commission’s recommendation to have 1994 (Act 480); MMDCEs elected; o Local Government Service Act, 2003 (Act 656); • Promote performance-based competition among MMDAs; o Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658); • Implement the Local Economic Development • Trained Metropolitan/Municipal/District and the Public Private Partnership concepts in Assembly (MMDA) staff in Public Financial the districts; Management, Social Accountability, Project Management and Human Resource • Modernise major markets in the districts; Management; • Direct MMDAs to organise ‘Accountability • Established Internal Audit Units in all MMDAs Forums’ to give voice to the public, Civil to streamline and ensure accountable use of Society Organisations and other non-state resources; actors in local level governance; • Signed performance contracts with • Set up a Commission of Inquiry to look

72 | TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE THEME 4

into the creation of new regions, with the a public sector that is responsive, efficient and intention to increase the number of regions to effective. It is for this reason that the NDC fifteen; Government began rationalising and redefining structures and roles of state institutions to bring • Implement the programme for the about systematic and sustainable change in decentralisation of the following either by service delivery. devolution or de-concentration according to the National Decentralisation Policy OUR ACHIEVEMENTS Framework 2015 to 2019: o Registry of Births and Deaths We have o Ghana Library Board • Established a Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) o National Youth Authority at the Presidency to ensure implementation of Government’s strategic policies, projects and o Department of Co-operatives programmes; o Department of Town and Country Planning • Formulated a new Public Sector Reform o Ghana Education Service Strategy (2016 – 2020); o Ghana Health Service • Established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) o National Disability Council for the public service; o Food and Drugs Authority • Established a Human Resource Management o Public Records and Archival Administration and Information System alongside GIFMIS; Department • Initiated Payroll Reform Programmes rooted in o National Peace Council technology to rid the public service of ‘ghost’ o Registrar-General’s Department names; o Legal Aid Scheme • Scaled up e-Governance to enhance efficiency • Vigorously implement the framework for and effectiveness. inter-service/inter-sectoral collaboration and cooperation at the district, regional and OUR COMMITMENT national levels; (2017-2021) • Work with the National Labour Commission and other partners to Enact We will and operationalise the Local Government • Implement the Public Sector Reform Strategy (Borrowing) Bill to enable MMDAs borrow for (2016 – 2020); infrastructure projects and other investment- related activities; • Enhance supervision and productivity in the public service; • Implement the modified procedure for the emergence of MMDCEs as contained in the • Consolidate and enhance the public service- Government White Paper on the Constitution wide Human Resource Management Review Commission (CRC) report; Information Systems (HRMIS); • Complete the property-addressing component • Promote excellence in human resource of the Street Naming and Property Addressing management to deliver timely and responsive Project and ensure electronic mapping. public service to the citizenry. • Modernise major local markets in the districts. We also commit ourselves to • Coordinate all public sector reform initiatives in MDAs contained in the Public Sector Reform ENHANCING PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM Strategy (PSRS); We recognise that our Transformation Agenda • Implement the African Charter of Values and can be implemented more successfully through Principles of Public Administration;

| 73 THEME 4 TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

• Implement and coordinate Service Delivery THE MEDIA Improvement Programmes; The NDC considers the media as partners in • Implement the National Action Plan of national development. That is why we have Ghana Open Government Partnership (OGP) continued to be attentive to their constructive initiative; criticisms to shape policies and programmes. To this end, we will continue to work towards • Ensure the establishment of a performance building a free and just society where free contracting regime for sub-vented agencies. speech is cherished and encouraged. INDEPENDENT CONSTITIONAL BODIES OUR ACHIEVEMENTS The NDC acknowledges the significant We have contributions of Independent Constitutional Bodies (ICB), namely the Commission on Human • Continued to expand the frontiers of press Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), freedom; the Electoral Commission (EC), the National • Issued licences for the establishment of over Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the 226 FM stations and 38 television stations; National Media Commission and the Audit Service to our democratic process. • Established a Media Development Fund; • Assisted the media with ICT equipment; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Completed the draft Broadcasting Bill for passage; We ensured the operational independence of • Developed the policy to guide the these bodies consistent with our belief in the implementation of digital broadcasting and to rule of law and good governance. provide for related matters; • Placed existing television broadcasting houses OUR COMMITMENT in Greater Accra and Ashanti regions on the (2017-2021) Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform free of charge; • Laid the Right to Information Bill in We will Parliament for enactment. • Provide adequate resources to the Independent Constitutional Bodies OUR COMMITMENT by ensuring the establishment of the (2017-2021) Independent Constitutional Bodies Fund recommended by the Constitutional Review We will Commission (CRC); • Support the National Media Commission • Establish the Independent Emoluments (NMC) to decentralise its operations; Commission to determine the emoluments of • Provide the National Media Commission with all public offices including Chairpersons and a permanent and befitting office; members of the ICBs as recommended by the CRC; • Commit more resources to the Media Development Fund for more capacity building • Continue with reforms in the legal service and initiatives; justice sector; • Enactment of the Broadcasting Bill; • Transform the Legal Aid Board into an Independent Constitutional Body to be • Implement the Right to Information Bill when funded in the same manner as other ICBs as passed by Parliament. recommended by the CRC. • Provide free set-up boxes (decoders) to vulnerable households;

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• Reduce capital expenditure in television OUR COMMITMENT broadcasting through the implementation of (2017-2021) the digital migration process; • Ensure complete Analogue Switch Off. We will • Support the police in the maintenance of law and order, as well as the protection of lives NATIONAL SECURITY and property; The NDC is committed and will continue to • Continue recruitment and training of SWAT implement policies that ensure not only the and crack counter terrorism operations squad; peace and security of the citizenry but also maintenance of law and order. New and global • Continue to strengthen the capacity of the security threats such as terrorism and cyber Police to combat emerging threats such as security issues have emerged and intensified cybercrime, terrorism and child and human but have been effectively prevented and trafficking; combated. • Harmonise the laws on small arms and light weapons; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Continue to pursue programmes to decongest the prisons; We have • Pass the Ghana Immigration Service • Increased the numerical strength of the Police (Amendment) Regulations; Service from 23,204 in 2012 to 32,117 in 2014 resulting in a current Police/Population Ratio • Provide fire service with equipment for (PPR) of 1:724 as against 1:1,100 in 2010; fighting fire in high-rise buildings; • Install scanners at all major overland border • Increased police visibility in our communities; crossing points; • Substantially increased logistics, vehicular • Continue to enhance the capacity of NADMO and equipment support to the Ghana Police to prevent and manage disasters; Service; • Enact and implement the Prisons • Established a Marine Police unit; (Amendment) Bill; • Construct new remand blocks in existing • Constructed residential accommodation for prisons in order to separate remand prisoners the Police, Bureau of National Investigations from convicted prisoners; and the military among others; • Refurbish all existing prisons to improve • Installed Border Surveillance System (CCTV ventilation and deepen skills acquisition and and WIFI Systems) at strategically selected education opportunities for convicts; Border Control Points across the country; • Move Kumasi prison from its current location • Extended the e-Immigration project to the to a new modern medium security prison to key points of entry at the Kotoka International serve the Northern part of the country; Airport, Tema, Elubo, Aflao, and ; • Provide command and operational vehicles for the Fire Service, Prisons and Immigration • Laid the Prisons Service Bill and the National services; Disaster Management Organisation Bill in Parliament for passage; • Provide modern communication equipment for all security services; • Adopted a National Migration Policy; • Construct hospitals for the remaining security • Provided fire tenders and modern fire-fighting services, Prisons, Fire Service, Immigration and equipment to the Ghana National Fire Service. Customs.

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TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY • Assist the Ghana Air Force to establish a flight training school in Tamale as a centre of The Ghana Armed Forces has been retooled excellence for West Africa. and motivated. It remains ready at all times to protect the territorial integrity of our motherland. Its professionalism and INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS effectiveness, nationally and internationally, is well known and appreciated. It has contributed Ghana’s foreign policy will continue to be that to the maintenance of peace and stability in of positive neutrality. We will also emphasise Ghana and ensured the protection of our marine economic diplomacy. The commitment to peace resources including the offshore hydrocarbon and security in the West African sub-region fields. is paramount in our inter-regional diplomatic relations. This obliges us to support political OUR ACHIEVEMENTS stability of neighbouring countries and uphold We have all Ghana’s commitments to the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, African Union (AU), • Adopted peaceful means in resolving the Commonwealth, ECOWAS, and other maritime disputes; international organizations of which we are • Effectively provided security for our oil members. installations in our continental shelf and exclusive economic zones; OUR ACHIEVEMENTS • Established the Forward Operating Base at Ezilimbu in the Western Region; We have • Constructed a new hangar in Tamale; • Ensured, under the leadership of President • Established the West African Maritime Zone Mahama as Chair of ECOWAS, peace and “F”; stability in Guinea Bissau, Togo, Mali and • Provided additional housing units for the Burkina Faso when their peace and stability Ghana Armed Forces. was threatened; • Worked to finalise the Common External Tariff OUR COMMITMENT which is ensuring the establishment of an (2017-2021) ECOWAS Customs Union and the framework for the implementation of the ECOWAS Biometric ID System; We will • Led a coordinated effort to mobilise against • Continue our heightened vigilance to keep at Boko Haram; bay threats from terrorists and mercenaries; • Led an internationally integrated effort to • Ensure that processes towards the peaceful galvanise finance and logistics and hosted the resolution of all maritime disputes are United Nations Ebola Emergency Response brought to a successful conclusion; (UNMEER) Mission in Accra, Ghana to end the scourge of Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea, • Ensure closer collaboration among the Ghana Liberia and Sierra Leone; Navy, the Marine Police Unit and other agencies to protect our oil and gas and other • Worked towards a continental free trade maritime assets; area in 2017 and also supported continental integration by introducing elements of the AU • Be proactive in the protection of key strategic Agenda 2063 into our national development; installations throughout the country; • Upheld Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s • Increase the numerical strength of the Ghana dream of achieving a truly free Cuba and the Armed Forces and continue to provide the establishment of a Palestinian State; needed up to date logistics to facilitate and enhance performance; • Signed the US$498 Million Second Compact

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under the Millennium Challenge Corporation • Intensify our focus on Ghanaians abroad and (MCC) focusing on the power sector; people of African descent through diaspora engagements to tap into their rich experience • Been honoured to have President John and also bring investments into Ghana; Mahama co-chairing the group of Eminent Advocates of the United Nations Sustainable • Leverage economic and technological Development Goals. opportunities for sustainable development; • Support the creation of a continental free OUR COMMITMENT trade area in 2017; (2017-2021) • Accelerate economic and social integration We will with regional and sub-regional states and promote rules-based and equitable • Increase collaboration with relevant external International Trading System; organisations to fight international terrorism, cyber-attacks and piracy, especially in the West • Continue to promote international peace and African Sub-region; sustainable development. • Combat money laundering, narcotics trade and human trafficking;

| 77 CONCLUSION

In 2017, the National Democratic Congress Dramani Mahama and our Parliamentary will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. It will be Candidates, who will help deliver on the historical and will represent a significant commitments in this Manifesto. approval by the people of Ghana of the This Manifesto contains policies and performance of our Government. programmes that will consolidate the We made a number of promises in our achievements so far made and, in addition, 2012 Manifesto and the records show that introduce new initiatives that will launch we have delivered more than we pledged Ghana into a new era of accelerated in several sectors. But for the prolonged growth and the transformation of our global developments that adversely society. affected the earnings from Ghana’s export As the goal of the 2016 Manifesto states, commodities and increased the prices of the implementation of our policies and imports, the record of our achievements programmes is to change your life and would have been even more remarkable. transform Ghana. The Manifesto is our We demonstrated that with prudent compact with you, the people of Ghana, management, the negative impact of the and given our record of promising and global challenges could be managed. Our delivering, we urge you to renew our economy is becoming more robust and mandate with a massive vote for the NDC’s resilient and this has led to several positive Presidential and Parliamentary candidates forecasts and a better outlook for Ghana in in December 2016. the future. Our investments in infrastructure and in the social services such as education, health, housing and water are providing Stay with those opportunities for the private sector to create jobs. you trust. We practiced an open, accountable and responsive government, which contributed Vote for the NDC! tremendously to the enjoyment of personal freedoms, the maintenance of peace and security and the protection of our territorial integrity. We are deeply committed to continuing the good work of the past four years and we are confident that the good people of Ghana will continue to repose confidence in the stewardship of John

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