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Introduction
Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched its 2024 Manifesto, promising to create millions of jobs and revamp the country’s economy after several years of downturn.
Titled “Selfless Leadership, Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business,” the NPP has asked Ghanaians for a third term to “continue with the good work” started under President Nana Akufo-Addo.
“If there was any doubt to believe, it is crystal clear from the data and account we have given that our overall performance and track record are superior to that of my opponent and his party in virtually every sector. We are superior,” the NPP 2024 Presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said.
DUBAWA has highlighted the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto, which focuses on job creation, the economy, education, and governance.
Promises on job creation
Under job creation, the NPP flagbearer has promised to train 1,000,000 Ghanaian youth in digital skills. He believes this would expose them to job opportunities outside Ghana while still living in Ghana.
Also, the Dr Bawumia-led-NPP government would create jobs through private-sector construction and infrastructure development, industrialisation, and Agribusiness.
According to the former Deputy Governor of Ghana’s central bank, he would create jobs through the Tax Amnesty Programme.
See pages 19 and 21 to 25 of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto for the party’s promises on job creation.
Dr Bawumia explained that the tax amnesty programme would transition the West African country to a flat tax system where Ghanaians would be subject to a single rate on taxable goods and services.
The other programmes and policies the NPP would implement to create jobs are:
(d) create jobs for artisans (carpenters, masons, welders, etc.) and build environment professionals to maintain public infrastructure through a revived and resourced PWD
(e) create SME jobs with the introduction of The SME Bank
(f) create jobs through the minerals industry and its value chain (aluminium, gold, lithium, manganese, salt, etc.)
(g) employ more security services personnel
(h) create jobs through the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Programme
(i) recruit more special needs teachers
(j) set quotas for recruitment of PWDs for public sector recruitment
(k) employ more lawyers for legal aid (at least 2 for each District)
(l) create other jobs through Tourism, Creative Arts and Sports; “Jobs Abroad” Programme; “Youth in Seafaring” Programme; Aviation & Logistics; Green Energy Industries, including EVs, and
(m) support businesses to drive and accelerate job creation by:
[n] cutting 3% of GDP from government expenditure (GH₵30 billion) and redirecting it towards private sector provision of public infrastructure and services.Promises on education
Realising the accommodation deficit at Ghana’s tertiary schools, the NPP has promised to increase the stock of student accommodation in the country’s public universities and other public tertiary institutions.
The NPP under Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to continue the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme started by President Nana Akufo-Addo in 2017.
As part of a grand scheme to strengthen Ghana’s education system, the NPP has promised to carry out the following programmes:
(b) introduce a Free Tertiary Education Scholarship for PWDs (Persons with disability) to remove financial barriers to pursuing educational goals
(c) implement in full the Centralised Applications Processing Service (CAPS) for tertiary institutions: “You apply once, and pay once.”
(d) establish an Open University
(e) those who, after completion of their tertiary education, have secured jobs would be exempted from national service
(f) protect and enhance the free SHS/TVET, which is truly transforming lives and changing life outcomes for millions
See pages 27, 144 to 157, and 158 to 172 of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto for the party’s promises on education.
Promises on economy
The International Monetary Fund has said that Ghana’s economy has started stabilising due to its economic support to the West African country.
The IMF programme aims to restore macroeconomic stability, secure debt sustainability and lay the foundations for higher and more inclusive growth.
See page 18: In consolidating the progress made under President Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP says it would further accelerate the growth and expansion of Ghana’s economy by sustaining an average of 6% growth.
The NPP said this would be done by expanding Agriculture, Mining (including establishing the Minerals Development Bank), 1D1F (one-district-one-factory), Emerging Industries, Digital Hub & Services, Sports, Tourism, and Creative Arts.
The other programmes the NPP would implement to improve the economic situation in the country are:
(a) increase Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) as an important funding model for delivering public infrastructure projects.
(b) establish an independent Fiscal Responsibility Council to oversee Fiscal Policy and
(c) amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act to add a new fiscal rule requiring that expenditure in any year not exceed 105% of the previous year’s tax revenue.
(d) reduce the cost of public transportation.
(e) Significantly improving the availability and affordability of power by bringing 2,000 MW of solar power and incentivising users by buying excess power they generate from solar systems and paying with “free electricity” from the national grid when they need power.
(f) cutting 3% of GDP from government expenditure (GH₵30 billion) and redirecting it towards private sector provision of public infrastructure and services.
(g) fully rolling out the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
See pages 18, 39 to 44, and 84 to 94 of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto for the party’s economic promises.
Promises on health
Under health, the NPP has promised to complete all the 111 district hospitals being constructed across the country under the programme “Agenda 111.” hospitals. This ensures every District gets a District Hospital.
See page 26 of the NPP’s 2024 Manifesto for the party’s promises on health.
As part of plans to strengthen the human resources at the various hospital facilities, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to recruit more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals and improve service conditions.
(a) bring healthcare services to your doorstep by:
i. completing the digitisation of public healthcare institutions under the E-health project
ii. scaling up telehealth services
iii. establishing two additional sites, in addition to the existing 6, at Funsi and Kintampo, to enhance drone delivery services and to ensure total nationwide coverage and,
(b) ensuring the interoperability of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform
(c) offer incentives for healthcare workers to buy one vehicle, each with an engine capacity of up to 1,800cc, and,
(d) ensure compliance with the existing deprived area incentive package for health workers
(e) deepen Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for healthcare delivery and management, and
(f) encourage PPP placement of key equipment, such as diagnostic and imaging systems, and establishment of centres of excellence within public institutions to help retool all hospitals
(g) amend the NHIA Act to establish a separate health insurance regulatory body
(h) improve access to healthcare services by making available medical equipment, medicines, and other consumables, and
(i) ensure that health institutions (including religious health institutions) receive their NHIS payments promptly and pay existing debts expeditiously by introducing automatic adjustment of reimbursement of the cost of medicines and services regularly.
Conclusion
With less than four months to the major poll in Ghana, the governing NPP is the only political party that has outdoored its manifesto. The country’s largest opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is expected to launch its 2024 manifesto on Aug. 24, 2024, the NDC has told Ghanaians.
