Bawumia means business - Unveils manifesto focusing on jobs, business
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday unveiled its manifesto that outlines the party’s plans and vision for the next four years on every sector and appealed to the Ghanaian public to keep faith with the party and entrust the presidency to its flag bearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to steer the country to transform the Ghanaian economy.
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In a presentation that lasted about two hours, Dr Bawumia unveiled the details of the manifesto document, christened “Selfless Leadership, Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business”, and declared at the end that “Bawumia means business”.
“In all humility, I ask you to give me the opportunity to become one of the most impactful Presidents in Ghana’s history,” he appealed to the electorate, saying “the manifesto is of hope anchored on bold solutions to usher in the golden age of good governance and accountability, a manifesto of possibilities, focusing on quantum leap in jobs and prosperity”.
Dr Bawumia said the party’s positive mindset “is built on a track record of innovations and achievements, unlike their opponents who believe no innovation was possible.
“I mean to deliver for you and your family for your future, for your business. Indeed, Bawumia means business,” the NPP flag bearer declared to a thunderous roar.
“I will work for you, with you with honesty and integrity, with wisdom and decisiveness. I have the clarity of mind as to what I want to do from day one as President,” he added.
“I’m prepared and ready to serve. You know what I stand for, you know my vision, I believe in the ingenuity of the Ghanaian. Together we can succeed in building a progressive society of possibilities, enterprise, compassion, open opportunities and shared prosperity of every Ghanaian, rich or poor, born in the north or the south, Christian or Muslim, a girl or a boy, a leper or a disabled person,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Delivering jobs
The party promised to change gears from the modest gains in economic recovery following a difficult downturn — due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war — to rapid growth on sound policies that would deliver jobs, support businesses to thrive and a build a secure future for the youth.
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The jam-packed event at the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS) assembled both stalwarts and foot soldiers in the governing party from across the country and set the stage for what party faithful hope would deliver the "break the eight" wish in the December 7, 2024 polls.
It featured a video message of well wishes from former President J.A. Kufuor, and a documentary on the achievements of the current government.
The manifesto document, developed on the “Bold Solutions” refrain, highlighted a wide range of interventions across sectors to, first, regenerate the economy, then, achieve growth and development.
A good part of the Western regional twin-city capital was awash with NPP paraphernalia in their bright red, white and blue colours, with a big crowd of enthusiastic youth stationed outside the event venue long before the unveiling of the party’s blueprint for national development in a projected third straight term.
He said from his interaction with Ghanaians, the three top concerns were the cost of living, jobs and roads and that explained why “the NPP prioritises what you, the Ghanaian people, say are your priorities”.
“The manifesto lays out a clear path of how we plan to solve these major problems among others. That is why my government will make businesses and jobs our number one priority,” he said, adding that the private sector had the capacity and know-how to create jobs.
He said his administration would incentivise the private sector to do more in complementing the government in the provision and management of public infrastructure.
Raucous cheers
Dr Bawumia, and his running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, arrived with other stalwarts on a bus around 2:35 p.m. to raucous cheers from the party support base, the leadership seeming to portray the frugal disposition the manifesto document promises on a lean government size in a prospective next term.
Dr Bawumia mounted the stage around 6 p.m. after 11 previous speakers, majority of them youth, and for hours touted the achievements of the current administration, singling out the more than three million jobs the NPP government had created in less than eight years.
He took on his major opponents, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and criticised the opposition party for being sceptical about what he considered practical possibilities.
Dr Bawumia mentioned the NPP administration’s performance in infrastructural development, education, health care and digital transformation, stressing further that the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, the One-District, One-Factory initiative, and the digitalisation of public services were examples of the party’s commitment to improve the lives of Ghanaians.
Dr Bawumia emphasised that those accomplishments highlighted the party’s superior governance in comparison to the opposition, pointing to the NPP's handling of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation across the globe as a demonstration of the party’s resilience and ability to steer the country through challenging times.
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Other promises
The NPP flag bearer said the NPP administration had also reduced the budget deficit and promised to ensure fiscal discipline through a Fiscal Accountability Act.
Dr Bawumia said a government under his watch would reduce the country’s fiscal burden, strengthen social intervention programmes, tackle road construction in a comprehensive manner and change the procurement culture to check corruption.
He further promised a flat tax system, which he described as citizen-friendly, business-friendly and non-complex, to induce voluntary compliance among the public.
The NPP flag bearer said the business of government was to empower businesses to survive and that principle underpinned the party’s manifesto.
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He further promised tax amnesty for individuals and businesses to encourage more people to voluntarily enrol onto the tax system, and to eliminate paper filing of taxes altogether as another measure to remove difficulties and cumbersome human interface.
Dr Bawumia said a government headed by him would also abolish the electronic transfer levy, commonly called e-levy, introduce a flat rate at the ports on duty for imports, harmonise port charges to align with ports in the sub-region, and recalibrate the electricity tariff regime to make it affordable for commercial entities in order to encourage business growth.
He said the next NPP government would also introduce an SME bank to grow small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), complete the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam to develop large-scale agriculture in the northern areas, and deliver a “world-class digital economy”.
Youth employment
Dr Bawumia restated his commitment to turn Ghana into a digital hub of Africa by training one million Ghanaians in information technology skills. He said the policy was part of his broader vision to build a digital economy that would improve many sectors and also offer jobs to the youth.
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"I want to build a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth," Dr Bawumia said.
"I want to see Ghana build the digital talent we require for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This will mean providing digital and software skills to hundreds of thousands of youth. This, along with other policies, will create jobs for the youth, including school dropouts,” he added.
Running mate
For his part, Dr Prempeh said the rate at which the country was being developed called for continuity and urged Ghanaians to retain the NPP in power for a third term.
"The other party failed woefully when they were in power and now that the NPP is developing the country, they want to come back to destroy what we have achieved," he said.
Dr Prempeh said the 2024 election manifesto of the NPP would “serve as the guiding light for the next presidency”.
He cautioned supporters of the party not to be deceived by the propaganda of the NDC to vote for them.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, appealed to Ghanaians to elect Dr Bawumia as the President, saying he was the only person better placed to testify about the NPP flag bearer and to appeal to the people to give the stewardship of the country for the next eight years to him and his running mate.
He recounted how 16 years ago, he decided to partner Dr Bawumia and in opposition as well as in government he had been a model of loyalty, honesty, dedication and patriotism.
President Akufo-Addo said Dr Bawumia “lives and breathes patriotism”, stressing that he would deliver on all the promises he had made.
He said he had never had any problem with his Vice-President, also the flag bearer who had respect for the people and would work night and day to transform the country.
Turning to Dr Prempeh, the President said if he had even half of the loyalty Dr Bawumia had shown to him, “you will be a wonderful Vice-President” and called on the Ghanaian voter population, especially first-time voters, to reject former President John Dramani Mahama, who he said, was the only leader in the fourth republic whose tenure was not renewed after the first term because of poor performance.
Have faith
The Majority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Afutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin, set the tone for the event by asking party faithful and Ghanaians to have faith in the future presidency of Dr Bawumia.
“Don’t give up,” he said. Mr Afenyo Markin said the party had already spent too much time settling disputes, and that it was time to move on.
He lamented the party’s numbers in Parliament where they were pegged at 137 apiece with the NDC, and said everyone had to put their shoulders to the wheel to increase their numbers in the legislature.
“Everyone has a role to play. There is a prize awaiting us,” Mr Markin said, and urged loyalists to fight for the party as they would fight for a blood relation.
The National Chairman of the NPP, Stephen Ntim, said the 2024 Manifesto contained bold decisions and forward-looking policies.
He said the country needed a competent leader to continue on the path of development from the Akufo-Addo regime.