By Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo has tasked the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to develop a strategy that will help the country widen its domestic revenue mobilization above its current 14 % tax to GDP ratio.
He tasked the NDPC to identify the avenue through which, the country’s capacity for domestic revenue mobilization could be fully realized.
President Akufo-Addo gave the charge when he swore into office a 49-Member Commission of the NDPC headed by former Minister of Planning, Professor Gyan Baffuor.
The NDPC is the Chief Advisor to the President on development Planning Policy and Strategy. The Commission at the request of the President or Parliament, or on its own initiative can also study and make strategic analyses of macro-economic and structural reform options, make proposals for the development of multi-year rolling plans taking into consideration the resource potential and comparative advantage of the different districts of Ghana; make proposals for the protection of the natural and physical environment, monitor, evaluate and coordinate development policies, programmes and projects.
President Akufo-Addo charged the newly sworn-in Commission to use their expertise to create a more predictable, attractive and smart economy. He asked the NDPC to lead a process to localise the ACFTA with the provision of guidelines and capacity development programme for the District Assembly.
President Akufo-Addo also tasked the Commission to synchronise Ghana Beyond Aid, Ghana at 100 and the Care Obaatampa Programme into the National Medium Term Policy Framework.
” Find the ways and means to enhance revenue mobilization”.
Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, in his acceptance speech on behalf of the Commission promised to bring to bear on the work of the NDPC, their expertise to help to develop the nation.
Members include the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr. Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, Ministers responsible for Finance, Health, Education, Food and Agriculture, Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Energy, Trade and Industry, Employment and Labour Relations, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as Gender and Social Protection.
The Commission also has the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, and the Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Anim as members,
Representatives from all sixteen regions of the country are also part of the Commission as well as Development Experts, Economists, Governance Experts, Environment Experts and Spatial Planning Experts.
