Synchronising National Development Efforts To Ensure Long Term Sustainable

Good governance as a tenet in a democratic dispensation has been widely recognized as a key ingredient for development. Multi-Party Democracy gained root in most parts of Africa in the early 1990s replacing dictatorial regimes. Evidence seems to confirm that African countries where multi-party democracy has been established perform better as compared to non-democratic states. This notwithstanding, one of the challenges that confront multiparty democracy is consensus building for prudent sustainable long term development. Time and Time again governments formulate good and credible laws, policies and strategies to propel socio-economic development. The daunting task however is the capacity to implement these policies and strategies effectively and sustainably.

It is important to emphasize that the implementations of some of these plans are sometimes truncated mid-way through the plan period sometimes as a result of change in government. It is therefore heart-warming that in recent times some present and past governments have endeavoured to continue some programmes started by previous governments. Some experts believe that a persistent and effective long term national development goal is key to realizing fruitful national development outcomes. It is almost impossible for one single government, given the full term of eight years, to achieve meaningful development in the absence of a long-term national focus. This is why successive governments should be committed to continue programmes of their predecessors.

About 7 years ago a Constitution Review Commission was set up to among other things ascertain from the people, their views on the operation of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution. One issue that stood out phenomenally was the need for long term sustainable approach to national development planning. It is as a result of this among others, that the National Development Planning Commission took a step to solicit for inputs for a long term national development framework, which was supposed to serve as yardstick by which programmes and manifestoes of political parties would be measured. That way, manifestoes would come closer to one other, with the differences being the pace at which one Government wants to develop and how effectively it does so .This is what gave birth to the preparatory process for a 40 year long term national development plan.

Throughout the preparatory stage for the long term plan there were concerns about the form the long term plan should take. Whereas some were of the opinion that a national development framework as long as 40 years stands the risks of violation by successive governments due to fast-changing global trends, others were pessimistic about a plan that is not legally binding. It is in the light of these that some have called for a review of the 40 year National Development Plan. Whatever one’s viewpoint about the 40year National Development plan is, the need for a long tern sustainable national development plan cannot be overemphasized. The National Development Planning Commission which is the national coordinating body responsible for the national development planning system has being doing a yeoman’s job by reviewing development planning records in Ghana as well as the planning experiences of other countries, mindful of the current political context of planning in Ghana where different political parties come to power with specific promises captured in their party manifestos.

There is however the need for strong consensus building in our body politic to ensure all inclusive and holistic development. As we continue to explore ways to achieve a free, just and prosperous society as a nation, there is the need for present and future Governments to have strong collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission to ensure synchronization of development efforts that permeate political barriers.

That is a sure way of ensuring sustainable national development.

BY DAVID OWUSU-AMOAH, A CULTURAL JOURNALIST AND HEAD OF RESEARCH, INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

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