2024 NDC Manifesto: Thoughts and reflections
THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched its 2024 manifesto last Saturday, August 24, to present alternative views on the country’s governance.
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It highlights policies and initiatives the party intends to address current challenges facing Ghana.
Principal among them is the 24-hour economy where the party aims at rolling out targeted policies for certain sectors of the economy to run a 3-shift system to boost economic output, stimulate growth and resuscitate the economy.
The manifesto also proposed policies aimed at addressing what it perceives as bloated government, wanton corruption and conflict of interest where politically exposed individuals purchase state assets at giveaway prices.
Others include breach of public procurement laws, worsening rate of press freedom, political favouritism, corruption and nepotism in the award of government scholarships, illegal mining and the pollution of Ghana’s water-bodies.
On the issue of fighting corruption, the NDC flag-bearer promised that the next NDC government aims to prioritise good governance and combat corruption effectively.
He pledged to reduce the size of the government to a maximum of 60 ministers and execute an ‘Operation-Recover-All-Loot’ to investigate, prosecute and recover proceeds of corruption.
The manifesto also aimed to introduce legislation to prohibit politically exposed individuals from purchasing state assets and conduct thorough inquiries into various scandals that have affected the nation under the current administration.
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Additionally, it plans to review the Public Procurement law to establish an Independent value-for-money office for scrutinising government procurements above a certain threshold determined by Parliament.
Furthermore, it pledges its commitment to addressing disparities in the remuneration of government officials and scrapping the payment of ex gratia.
The next NDC government would establish an Independent Emoluments Commission by merging relevant institutions as suggested by the Constitutional Review Commission.
Collaboration with the Judiciary to establish a special court for individuals against whom the Auditor-General and Parliament have made adverse findings is also a priority.
The NDC manifesto pledges to prioritise press freedom by repealing anti-press laws to ensure a climate of safety and freedom for the media. It further aims to reopen investigations into unresolved cases, including election-related violence and the murders of individuals such as Ahmed Hussein-Suale and Silas Wulochamey.
Additionally, the NDC aims to implement new legislation to reform the government’s scholarship administration. The proposed changes include prohibiting the allocation of scholarships to political appointees, integrating and organising scholarships across various sectors to remove the current disorganisation and aligning scholarships with the country's development priorities.
Moreover, the reforms seek to eliminate political favouritism, corruption and nepotism in the scholarship allocation process and ensure that scholarships are primarily granted to individuals from vulnerable and marginalised groups based on merit, fairness and inclusivity principles.
Illegal mining
The party also shows its commitment to combating illegal mining – galamsey - and to initiate an extensive programme to restore Ghana’s polluted water, degraded lands and devastated forest reserves.
The NDC wants to ban new mining activities in forest reserves, revise the Mineral and Mining Law to impose stricter penalties for mining in water bodies and decentralise regulatory and licensing processes for artisanal miners.
The NDC also hopes to implement a 'Tree for Life' reforestation policy and a Blue Water Initiative to facilitate the recovery of areas affected by illegal mining, turning them into economic and ecological recovery hubs.
Additionally, the NDC intends to decentralise regulatory and licensing processes for artisanal miners. It will further allocate resources to the geological survey department to prioritise geological investigations, ultimately bolstering Ghana’s position in the extractive industry.
Furthermore, it plans to establish the Ghana Gold Board (GOLDBOD) to oversee the small-scale mining sector. GOLDBOD will provide support services to small-scale mining operations, enforce training in land reclamation techniques and implement restrictions on the export of unrefined gold in the medium-term.
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Gender equality
The manifesto aims to address gender equality, social inclusion and empowerment in Ghana through various initiatives.
It pledges its commitment to implementing a minimum 30 per cent quota for women in all political appointments and establish a Women’s Development Bank to provide financial support to women-owned and women-led businesses.
It will also launch a ‘Women in Agriculture’ initiative to promote young women’s participation in agriculture, provide free sanitary pads to female students in basic and secondary schools and mandate four months of paid maternity leave for mothers.
Furthermore, the NDC plans to establish a National Para-sports Festival to promote inclusivity in sports for individuals with disabilities and the development of a Protective Framework for Children to ensure their safety and well-being.
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It also aims to provide support for persons living with disabilities through targeted hiring initiatives and welfare programmes.
Collectively, the NDC’s proposed initiatives inspire hope, underscoring the party’s commitment to provide good governance, fight corruption and ensure sustainable and responsible resource management for the benefit of all citizens.
Status quo
However, there are a couple of things they could do better if they were not to use the status quo as a benchmark. First, Ghana could be governed with less than 50 ministers. If Nigeria, with 218.5 million population, has 45 ministers, Ghana with a population of 32 million should have a maximum of 30.
Second, the plan to decentralise regulatory and licensing processes for artisanal miners is a good one but there is also a need to decentralise the regulatory and licensing of all natural resources to allow local government agencies to better protect the environment.
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This would ensure that all enjoy wealth from these resources.
Finally, the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank to provide financial support to women-owned and women-led businesses is a good plan.
Yet, the proposal of a minimum 30 per cent quota for women in all political appointments is inadequate, given that Ghana has passed the Affirmative Action Act.
The writer is a political scientist