Independent Peoples Party outdoors 2016 manifesto

The Independent Peoples Party (IPP) on Saturday became the first political party in Ghana to launch its manifesto ahead of this year’s general election with an intention to introduce child and unemployment benefits to ease the pains of Ghanaians if given power.

The child support pegged at GH¢600 a year is expected to be for those below 18 years while unemployed youth above 18 years are expected to benefit GH¢1,200 a year.

The ambitious manifesto launched by the founder and flagbearer of the party, Percival Kofi Akpaloo, intends to relocate the capital from Accra to either the Brong Ahafo or Northern regions, to give Ghana a facelift and reduce congestion in Accra.

Health

A liberal party and a member of the Africa Liberal Network, IPP intends to rollout unemployed and low income earners onto the National Health Insurance Scheme at an estimated cost of GH¢50 million annually.

The party, if given power, is to invest $10 billion to transform Ghana to become a medical tourism centre with 10 new state-of-the-art hospitals.

It is to encourage the budding trade in medical tourism, selling foreigners the idea of travelling to Ghana for low cost but world-class medical treatment.

Also, the party intends to invest heavily in over 230 new medical centres, at least 530 new ambulances are to be added to the existing fleet which is expected to create additional 128,500 jobs.

Economy

Mr Akpaloo announced that the party would stimulate the economy through the generation of incomes and putting money directly into people’s pockets.

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It intends to create two job funds to help the youth start their own businesses. First, a $10 billion Job Fund is to be created by 2024 to help technical students especially those from the Polytechnics with business plans to actualize their dreams.

Also an Angel Finance is to be rolledout to give start-up capital to businesses and by so doing create an estimated one million jobs.

Education

The party intends to merge the current Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) educational system to become a continuous one stream of education where one would not need to undertake a JHS exam before qualifying for SHS.

The system would be based on the continuous and yearly promotional exams to cure the situation where the educational careers of many have been truncated for failing in the JHS exams.

Also, computer programming where children would be encouraged to develop their own applications would become a core subject in the academic system. The idea is to open up Ghana to the rest of the world where jobs in ICT are in unlimited supply especially in Canada and Australia.

The IPP plans also to introduce the National Service Scheme to pre-tertiary school graduates to enable them have working experience before accessing tertiary education.

Agric

The IPP if elected into power is to correct the current deficit in poultry production where government relies on importation of poultry to augment local demands.

It intends to empower local poultry farmers with the requisite support to address the challenge as well as reduce the importation of fish.

Under an IPP government, Ghana is expected to reclaim its number one position in the production of cocoa which has been overtaken by neighbours, Cote d’Ivoire.

By 2020, the party intends to produce unprecedented 1.2 million metric tons of cocoa and also add value through production of tailored products for exports.

Energy

The flagbearer said an IPP government would introduce more companies in the distribution of electrical power since it appears the Electricity Company of Ghana is overwhelmed.

It is to bring competition in the distribution network and reduced the amount that customers would have to pay on each month.

Subsequently, Ghana would be expected to make some savings and thereby begin to export power to neighbouring countries to earn foreign exchange.

Transportation

An IPP government is to revive the rail transport system and it is to make Kumasi the hub of rail transportation.

Also the party intends to re-introduce the bus system where buses operate on scheduled times in all areas.

Housing

The party is to continue with the affordable housing project started under President John Agyekum Kufuor’s era but instead of outright sales to workers, it would be rented out to interested people.

The IPP if given power would revive Ghana’s postal services and address system to help in easy identification and delivery.

Sports

The party intends to invest GH¢600 million each year in sports to create and maintain 46,000 plus jobs in the sector.

It is to make Ghana sports more attractive in the next 10 years by building academies for all disciplines and help promote lesser-known sports.

IPP government will provide $300 million to build five first class stadia in Brong Ahafo, Upper East, Volta, Upper West, and Eastern regions in partnership with the private sector.