4th National Policy Summit

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE FOURTH NATIONAL POLICY SUMMIT BEING HELD IN TAMALE.

Development Policy interventions have been part of nation building since time immemorial. Governments have over the years committed significant resources towards development interventions tailored at enhancing the welfare of the citizenry. When development interventions are well planned and implemented all things being equal they are expected to yield desired national development outcomes. New Patriotic Party won the 2016 elections on the back of promises of some development policies such as Free Senior High School, One District One Factory, One village One Dam, among others. It is no gain saying that in spite of some challenges, Government has chalked some successes on the path towards the fulfillment of the promises.

One essential and priceless ingredient for effective implementation of development intervention is dialogue. Dialoguing with stakeholders is considered an essential pre-requisite for success in any development effort. It is indeed a sure way of having quality solutions to challenges. It is in the light of these truism that the Ministry of Information initiated the first ever policy summit in May last year to provide the platform for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to engage stakeholders on the way forward towards effective implementation of Government policies as well as regularly inform the public on detailed government strategies for revamping the economy for sustained growth. The National Policy Summit is also targeted at ensuring that policy makers, businesses and civil society engage on how to work together to achieve the development objectives of the country. So far three sessions of the policy summit have been held.

The first was on Economy and Energy followed by another on Trade and Industry and recently a session in Kumasi which focused on assessing the growth, jobs and prosperity agenda of the Government.  September 24 and 25, Tamale will be hosting the fourth policy summit under the theme ‘Assessing Government’s Flagship” programmes. Among topics to be discussed are the Free Senior High School, The double Track System- What it is and why it is necessary, the assessment of the One District One Factory, Status of implementation, Technical and Vocational Education Training among others.

Dialoguing towards consensus building has in recent years become prime cornerstones of good governance. According to the Minister of Information designate, Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah, at the launch of the Tamale edition of the summit, the quality of feedback gathered during the first three summits are enough proof that Ghanaians have become active citizens. The Ministry of Information deserves a thousand applause for this initiative purposed at consensus building. Consensus building is important in today’s interconnected society because many problems exist that affect diverse groups of people with different interests. As problems mount, the organisations that deal with society’s problems come to rely on each other for help.

Consensus-building processes also allow people of all shades and opinion to have input into decision-making processes, rather than leaving controversial decisions up to government representatives or experts. Opening up governance through summits like this is therefore priceless and should not be a nine day wonder.

In spite of these successes chalked up by the summits, it is important to note that the major challenge that has historically faced the development of this country is not the inability to formulate good and credible policies and strategies but rather the weak capacity to implement these policies and strategies effectively and sustainably. For the outcomes of these policy dialogues to be implemented sustainably, it will be prudent for state institutions such as the National Development Planning Commission which is the apex body responsible for policy formulation to play phenomenal part in such policy summits. This will ensure that outcome of such policy summits are incorporated into future development plans especially for long term planning purposes that will stand the test of time and transcend political lines.

BY OWUSU-AMOAH CULTURAL COMMUNICATOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF RESEARCH AT THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.