The Minister for Planning Professor, George Gyan Baffour has called for a didactic relationship between government and the private sector to help leverage all the resources available to ensure successful implementation of the President’s Coordinated Program of Economic and Social Development Policies (CPESDP) 2017-2024.
To this end, he called on academia, youth groups, traditional authorities, women groups and the media to lend their shoulders to the wheel for the program to be a success. He made the remarks at the Upper West Regional dissemination of the President’s CPESDP in Wa.
The program captures the divergent aspirations of the people into a formidable shared vision that would be translated into plans, policies and actions to be pursued across all sectors across the country.
The Eastern, Central and Western Regions have had their turn of the dissemination sessions with the Upper West being the latest to hold the session. Professor George Gyan-Baffour described the program document as unique saying it was carefully crafted to take cognizance of other global development agendas such as the SDGs and the AU’s Agenda 2063 and called for a synergy to implement it.
He said: “As government, we are acutely conscious the attainment of the vision requires not only an awareness of its tenets, but the appreciation and active engagement of all stakeholders within the boundaries of a new planning culture which recognizes the role of each actor-both state and non-state and thereby creating a space for all to participate.”
The Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Alhassan Sulemana observed that the regional forum constitutes a critical step for soliciting the support and active participation of the citizenry in championing the socio-economic transformation of the country as envisaged by President Akufo-Addo.
“The Regional Coordinating Council is convinced that the lofty strategies and laudable initiatives captured in the coordinated program are very strategic to addressing the development needs of the region [Upper West], meeting the aspirations of the people and posterity”, he indicated.
The Advisor to the Minister of Planning, Dr Kodjo Mensah-Abrampa mentioned four key policy directions of the CPESDP as revitalizing the economy, transforming agriculture and industry, revamping economic and social infrastructure, strengthening social protection and inclusion as well as reforming public service delivery.
A Planning Analyst from the National Planning Development Commission, Michael Kissi Boateng who delivered on CPESDP and linkages with the sustainable Development Goals, advised planning officers to use the SDGs to make their case for projects to be implemented in their various districts.
There were solidarity messages from the Private Enterprises Federation (PEF) and the Civil Society Platform for SDGs. The message from PEF was delivered by Michael Nana Osei whilst that of the Civil Society Platform for SDGs was delivered by the Program Officer of Send-Ghana, Bashiru Jumah. Messrs Osei and Jumah pledged the support of their various organizations to the government towards the implementation of the CPESDP.
The Gengenkpe Naa, Naa Dr Ernest Sangsor-Tulong who chaired the function said direct public sector investments over the years have not yielded the needed returns for the state adding that, state farms and Bank for Housing and Construction among others as some of the classical failures of government interventions and called for interventions that will serve the needs of the country.
Report by Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
