NPP 2020 Final Web PDF
NPP 2020 Final Web PDF
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
LEADERSHIP
OF SERVICE:
Protecting Our Progress,
Transforming Ghana for All
2020 MANIFESTO
NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
LEADERSHIP
OF SERVICE:
Protecting Our Progress,
Transforming Ghana for All
2020 MANIFESTO
(The party’s) policy is to liberate the energies of the
people for the growth of a property owning democracy
in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice, as the
principles to which the Government and laws of the land
should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life,
property and liberty of each and every citizen.
Dr. J. B. Danquah
PREFACE
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is
presenting itself to Ghanaians to be re-elected to continue to lead this country for the next
four years, 2021-2025. We began this journey four years ago with the promise to rebuild this
country, fully aware of the numerous challenges that Ghanaians faced.
In our 2016 Manifesto, we presented to Ghanaians our determination to tackle these numerous
challenges. We shared an inspiring vision to build a Ghana Beyond Aid. Rebuilding seemed an
impossible task. There were doubts in the minds of many about our ability to overcome the
challenges.
In the course of our first term in office, we have made what seemed impossible a reality. With skill
and experience, we have brought the Black Star to its fitting status in the comity of nations. The
President’s vision of Ghana Beyond Aid has ignited the imagination of Ghanaians. With speed,
we have made significant progress in restoring economic stability, improved macroeconomic
conditions that affect the lives of Ghanaians and the successes of businesses, stimulating
growth, and providing opportunities for job creation led by the private sector, supported by a
much improved and stable banking system. We were on schedule to maintaining our momentum
for progress before the Coronavirus pandemic’s (COVID-19) major disruptions in every aspect
of our national life occurred, including the tragic loss of lives.
Managing the disruptions, mobilising resources, protecting citizens from a ravaging virus, and
making sure that our progress is not derailed, have been the focus of the President, Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Government. And it is not hard to see why Ghanaians are
investing even greater trust in his leadership.
We present to you, first, what we have delivered, and are delivering on the promises we made
to you, and second, to ask, once again, humbly, for your mandate for the next four years so we
can continue building on, and completing the work that we, together, have started.
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MESSAGE FROM
THE PRESIDENT
We, in the New Patriotic Party, fully understand the consequence of putting a signature to a
contract. In 2016, we presented our Manifesto, titled “Change: An Agenda for Jobs; Creating
Prosperity and Equal Opportunity For All” to the Ghanaian people. It represented a solemn
social contract between the electorate and us, on the basis of which, by the grace of God and
the generosity of the Ghanaian people, we secured a famous and overwhelming victory.
In that contract, we pledged, amongst others, to help create a society of opportunities for
all, we remained committed to our belief in democratic governance and private sector-led
economic development, and we reiterated our firm stance as the party of the rule of law, the
party of business, the party that builds and creates wealth, and the party of social justice.
In the nearly four years that it has been my abiding privilege, by the grace of God, to lead this
party in government, we have kept our eyes firmly on these beliefs, and we have recorded
successes in all sectors of national life, which have had significant impact on the lives of all
Ghanaians. By common consent, it has been established that we have kept faith with the
people of Ghana, by fulfilling the great majority of our manifesto promises.
We have changed the outlook on education in this country; we have revived and strengthened
our healthcare delivery system; we have been busy in the delivery of physical infrastructure
in all parts of the country; we have made huge investments in agriculture, with the goal of
ensuring our nation’s food security; we have cleaned the financial sector mess we inherited,
and have, with the active co-operation of the Bank of Ghana, strengthened the banking and
financial sector; and we have shown that the economy of our country can be transformed and
diversified by a government of the New Patriotic Party.
We have embraced the application of digital technology in the delivery of public services;
we have restored the allowances of nursing and teacher trainees, that were scrapped by the
Mahama government; we have provided each constituency with an ambulance, a unique
achievement in Ghana’s history; we have reduced the benchmark values of import duties by as
much as 50%, and, in the case of vehicles, by 30%; we have put an end to the Unemployed
Graduates Association, which was such a sad feature of the Mahama years, by creating Nation
Builders Corps (NABCO) and several other job creation initiatives targeted at the youth; we
have systematically enhanced the capacity of the anti-corruption institutions of the State;
and we have superintended over the successful reorganisation of our regional governance
structure, resulting in the creation of six (6) new regions, with strong popular support.
Indeed, all our flagship programmes, be it Free SHS, “One District, One Factory”, “One Village,
One Dam,” the Programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, et al, have been rooted in the effort
to liberate the energies of the people to grow an economy of which all the people can be part.
On the global stage, the image and reputation of our country, which had been compromised,
are now high again.
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       MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
       When the Coronavirus pandemic, that has wrought havoc to the lives and livelihoods of people
       in all the nations of the world, reared its head in Ghana, we took immediate, decisive actions
       to contain and limit its spread, and protect the population, actions from which the nation is still
       benefitting, and, subsequently, took the equally bold decision to implement a Relief, Resilience
       and Recovery plan, with the overarching aim of providing relief to the ordinary Ghanaian, and
       being able to find more resources to strengthen the productive sectors of the economy to
       ensure sustained economic activity. Government has gone ahead to establish the one hundred
       billion cedi Ghana COVID Alleviation and Revitalisation of Enterprises programme, (we call it,
       fittingly, the Ghana CARES programme), whose aim, over the next three years, is to stabilise,
       revitalise and transform our nation, through the improvement of the country’s business climate,
       and support for the private sector.
       Having achieved all these significant milestones, even in the midst of the difficulties we met,
       and the negative effects of the unforeseen pandemic, I am hopeful that the Ghanaian people
       would grant the NPP another resounding victory in 2020.
       That is why, in furtherance of this, the programmes and policies contained in the NPP 2020
       Manifesto, dubbed “Leadership of Service: Protecting our Progress, Transforming Ghana
       for All”, are aimed at consolidating the significant gains chalked in office, and setting the stage
       for the next level of our nation’s development. I believe in the programmes that we have drawn
       up in our Manifesto, because they will continue the nation on the path of social and economic
       transformation, on which we have embarked. Indeed, they will lead to the transformation of
       Ghana to the benefit of all Ghanaians.
       We must, however, be reminded, at all times, that we are up against an opponent who is
       desperate to return to power to continue the agenda of mismanaging the economy to the
       suffering and despair of businesses, households and families and, by that, jeopardising the
       future of our children. We cannot afford to let that happen. We cannot, therefore, be complacent.
       We have to work hard for victory, regardless of the fact that ‘One Good Term Deserves Another’.
       So, let us make sure our message is heard loud and clear from Axim to Aflao, and from Accra
       to Paga. Let us go to every part of the country and spread the story of our good news; tell the
       young people about the possibilities Free SHS will present them; tell the farmers about the
       programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, which translates into enhanced income levels for
       them; and let us tell the business entrepreneurs about the reduction of their tax burdens and
       the improvement of the business climate, so their businesses can flourish, and they can, in
       turn, create jobs.
       Indeed, the December 2020 presidential election represents, arguably, the clearest of choices
       ever for the Ghanaian people to make.
       It bears repeating that 2020 is between the current President and the President who was voted
       out decisively in the last contest. It is about leadership. It is about integrity. It is about the
       performances of the two men when given the opportunity by the Ghanaian people to lead. It is
       about measuring records against promises. It is about which of the two leaders has shown in
       office that he knows how to manage the economy. It is about which of the two leaders you, the
       voter, can trust to deliver. It is about which of the two men you can trust with the future of your
       children. It is about which of the two leaders you know you can depend on in times of crisis.
       It is about which of the two leaders you believe can put in motion the necessary measures to
       revive and strengthen the economy, businesses, and social services, and build our country out
of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is about which of the two leaders can implement a programme
of transformation.
We, in the NPP, have demonstrated that, with the support of the Ghanaian people, we are
capable of supervising the transformation of our economy and nation that all Ghanaians want.
I am confident that, together, all of us in Ghana, with the appropriate leadership, can fulfill the
dreams and aspirations of our forebears, who initiated the struggle for our nation’s liberation
and independence from colonial rule, and who envisioned Ghana to be a united, democratic,
prosperous and happy nation, the beacon of freedom and justice in Africa and the world.
Four more years for Nana and the NPP to do more for you!
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MESSAGE FROM
THE VICE PRESIDENT
Four years ago, at the launch of our manifesto, we promised Ghanaians that the next New
Patriotic Party (NPP) government will place people at the centre of its policies and programmes.
That the hopes, dreams and concerns of every Ghanaian will be the catalyst and guiding
principle in our quest to make life better for all.
Four years on, I am proud to say that we have delivered on most of our promises and are
on course to deliver the rest, with the prayers and help of every Ghanaian, and under the
distinguished and able leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
On assumption of office on 7th January 2017, we met a nation afflicted with a myriad of economic
difficulties, unprecedented unemployment, and a private sector in distress, but after three and
a half years of prudent management of the economy under President Akufo-Addo, we have
reversed largely the damage done by our predecessors.
Despite the debilitating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have stayed true to the social
compact we signed with Ghanaians to make life better for everyone. Our interventions in every
strata of society, in line with our policies and programmes, have been aimed at ensuring the
greater good.
We of the New Patriotic Party are committed to initiating pro-poor policies and programmes to
bridge the inequality gap. The NPP has distinguished itself as the best Party to lead the forward
march for Ghana’s accelerated development.
But, we are not just building infrastructure and introducing epoch-making interventions; we are
building a nation.
We have been committed to our social contract to providing free Senior High School education,
creating jobs, transforming agriculture, industrialising the economy, sustaining the National
Health Insurance Scheme, digitising the economy, ensuring the public safety of Ghanaians,
and keeping the lights on. We still have much more to do.
The future is bright if we stay the course. That is why we are asking the good people of Ghana
to give Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP “four more to do more for you!”
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MESSAGE FROM
THE CHAIRMAN
On the eve of the momentous 2016 Elections, Ghana was
at a crossroad. We found ourselves in a messy economic
and social crisis due to the mismanagement, incompetence
and corruption of the Mahama-led NDC government.
Four years on, we have kept faith with the people of Ghana.
Under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
Ghana is on the rise again, we are on the right path towards
economic prosperity, and have undertaken far-reaching
institutional reforms necessary for good and accountable
governance in a stable and democratic society.
When, unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic struck, we steered the ship of state under the
competent leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and secured largely the
health and safety of Ghanaians.
As we head into another election in December this year, Ghana needs a stable, firm, and
competent leader’s hands over the next few years to ensure we protect the progress we have
made together, and to transform Ghana for all Ghanaians.
I present to you Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the proven leader, a stable, firm, and
competent captain of the ship of state we need over the challenging years ahead, and I humbly
call on all Ghanaians of every stripe to, once again, overwhelmingly vote for, and renew his
mandate and that of our Parliamentary Candidates in December 2020.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and continue to make us great and strong. Thank you.
Freddie Blay
National Chairman
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CONTENTS
PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP................................................................. 1
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
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      CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
    In the three and a half years we have been in office, we have stabilised the economy, eliminated
    and reduced the number of taxes, reduced the overall tax burden, doubled growth, created
    over two million jobs in the public and formal private sectors (inclusive of Government job-
    creation programmes and initiatives such as Planting for Food and Jobs), improved access
    to government services through rapid digitisation, and set millions of Ghanaians on the path
towards growth, prosperity, and equal opportunity through signature programmes like Free
Senior High School, Planting for Food and Jobs, One District-One Factory, and Infrastructure
for Poverty Eradication Programme. We have kept faith with the promises we made to the
Ghanaian people, and we have delivered or are delivering 80% of our manifesto promises.
           	             “it is my firm conviction that we can, and should, make this beautiful country of ours
                         more prosperous and improve the quality of life of every Ghanaian…Indeed we can, and
                         should, build a Ghana that is prosperous enough to stand on her own two feet: a Ghana
                         that is beyond dependence on the charity of others to cater for the needs of her people…”
Here are highlights of over five hundred (500+) different activities, categorised under two
hundred and eighty-nine promises (289), we have, with the support of the Ghanaian people,
achieved so far in our first term (a detailed list of the status of our manifesto promises can be
found at www.deliverytracker.gov.gh):
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DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
                                                          5
    PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
  2.                     Reduce the rate of           1.	 Between 2008 and 2012, Ghana’s debt stock
                         government borrowing             increased by 267%. Between 2012 and 2016, the
                                                          increase was 243%. The increase from 2016 to
                                                          2019 was 76% (including the one-time financial
                                                          sector bailout)
                                                      2.	 The Debt-to-GDP ratio increased by 49% between
                                                          2008 and 2012 and 19% between 2012 and 2016,
                                                          but only 3.9% between 2016 and 2019 (excluding
                                                          the cost of the financial sector bailout)
                                                      3.	 Interest payments as a percentage of GDP declined
                                                          from 6.9% in 2016 to 5.6% in 2018, and 5.7% in
                                                          2019
  3.                     Reduce interest rates        1.	 The Bank of Ghana Monetary Policy Rate declined
                         to spur private sector           from 25.5% at the end of December 2016 to 16%
                         investment                       at the end of 2019.
                                                      2.	 The Average Lending Rate declined over the same
                                                          period from 31.70% to 23.7%.
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    PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
    8.     Banking the Unbanked/        Millions of unbanked with mobile money accounts now
           Financial Inclusion          practically have bank accounts as a result of Mobile
                                        Money Payments Interoperability System
  11.                    Build an economy         Between 2017 and 2019, over two million full-time
                         which will create jobs   equivalent jobs were created in the public and private
                         and prosperity for all   formal sectors, as well as through Government job-
                         Ghanaians: “An Agenda    creation programmes such as NABCO and Planting for
                         for Jobs”                Food and Jobs, made up of:
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
  15.                    Financial Sector Reform        All the reserve adequacy measures have been met
                         - III (Reinforcing Section
                         40 of Bank of Ghana Act,
                         2002) to stabilise the ratio
                         between the currency in
                         circulation and foreign
                         exchange cover
  16.                    1.	 Remove import duties       Working within the framework, we implemented a 50%
                             on raw materials           reduction in the Benchmark Values of all goods and
                             and machinery for          30% for vehicles
                             production within the
                             context of ECOWAS
                             Common External
                             Tariff Protocol
                         2.	 Reduce Fees and
                             charges at the ports,
                             and
                         3.	 Reduce Import Duties
                             at the ports
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
     The NPP inherited a weak and fragile financial services sector from the Mahama-led NDC
     Government.
     Many financial institutions had either collapsed or were on the verge of collapse. Many were
     not paying their depositors or employees at all or regularly: There were countless instances
     where customers made long journeys to withdraw as little as GH¢200 only to be asked to come
     another day.
     These failures were a direct result of a system of poor licensing and regulation, non-existent
     capital, weak corporate governance characterised by related-party transactions, and political
     influence-peddling among others. Many innocent people – depositors, investors and employees
     – suffered the consequences of these grievous lapses.
     The Mahama-led NDC Government and the management it put in place at the Bank of Ghana,
     as well as at the Securities and Exchange Commission, had enough time to address these
     failures, but failed to take action. Bank of Ghana was, for example, aware of the impending
     failures in 2015, in the case of banks, and as far back as 2012, in the case of savings and loans
     and micro finance companies.
     In order to clean up and strengthen the sector and prevent its collapse, the new management of
     Bank of Ghana, which we installed, revoked the licenses of 9 banks, 23 savings and loans and
     386 microfinance companies. The central bank did this to protect the entire financial system,
     and preserve the hard-earned savings of hardworking men and women across the country.
     The Securities and Exchange Commission also revoked the licences of 53 fund managers for
     the same reasons.
     The clean-up exercise, and the Government’s decision to step in to provide financial support,
     ensured an orderly exit of the failed institutions, so that over 4.6 million depositors have access
     to their deposits, and 81,700 investors to their investments, and, over 10,000 jobs saved to
     date.
     The financial support, provided by the Akufo-Addo Government, ensured no depositor would
     lose a pesewa of their savings. All depositors of the banks, savings and loans, and microfinance
     institutions, by the end of September this year, would have received a full, 100% refund of their
     deposits.
     Employees, whose salaries and benefits had remained unpaid by the defunct institutions, have
     now been paid or are being paid by the Receivers. The alternative would have been millions of
     depositors losing their savings and over 10,000 individuals losing their jobs.
     As at the end of the first quarter of 2020, a total amount of GH¢13.6 billion has been spent on
     the resolution of failed banks, Specialised Deposit-taking Institutions (SDIs), Micro Finance
     Institutions (MFIs), the establishment of the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG), as well
     as the capitalisation of the Ghana Amalgamated Trust (GAT).
     Additionally, with the President’s directives to pay fully all depositors whose funds were locked
     up with the failed SDIs and MFIs, an amount of GH¢5 billion was spent. This brings the total
     expenditure on financial sector interventions as at June 2020 to GH¢18.6 billion. Government
     has also committed an amount of GH¢3.1 billion towards supporting investors in failed asset
     management companies regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
This would bring the overall total Government expenditure for the failed financial institutions to
GH¢21.60 billion
Furthermore, the nine indigenous banks, that were closed, were to a large extent taken over by
other indigenous Ghanaian banks – GCB and CBG – ensuring stronger Ghanaian ownership in
the banking sector. GAT, with 100% Government of Ghana ownership, has also successfully
invested in 4 indigenous banks to help them meet the new capital requirements.
With GAT, Government saved over 5,400 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs, and ensured that the
country retained nine indigenous banks instead of only four, after the increase in the minimum
capital requirement for the banking industry. The transformational plan, being executed by GAT
and the investee banks, will have a significant positive impact on these banks and the economy
as a whole.
The benefits of the clean-up exercise, including other regulatory reforms such as Bank
of Ghana’s Corporate Governance Directive (December, 2018) and Fit and Proper Persons
Directive (July 2019), are evident for all to see: we now have a stronger and more resilient
banking sector than we have ever had, and deposits in the banking system have increased
significantly as customers’ confidence in the system has rebounded.
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
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1.3.	 A Government
      Machinery That Works/
      Digitising Government
      Services
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      20.   National Digital Address    1.	 The National Digital Address System was launched
            System:                         in 2018. Every property in Ghana is now identified
                                            by a digital address. GhanaPost, Municipal and
                                            District Assemblies, and the Land and Spatial Use
                                            Authority, are working together to generate unique
                                            digital and street addresses for every property,
                                            residential and commercial, in Ghana. This process
                                            will be completed in 2020, along with the start of
                                            the process of placing on each property, it’s unique
                                            plated digital and street address which will be
                                            completed in 2021
                                        2.	 Its integration into the National Emergency
                                            Command Centre system is also enabling
                                            emergency services locate people who need
                                            services
      21.   Digital driver’s licence    Digital drivers’ licence and digital vehicle registration
            and vehicle registration    have been implemented
            by the Driver and Vehicle
            Licensing Authority
            (DVLA)
    23.                  Paperless Port System         	   This has been implemented under the Paperless
                                                           Port Project under which we have eliminated
                         We promised to:
                                                           the Customs Long Room which had become a
                         1.	 automate the process          bottleneck, streamlined inspections, enhanced
                             for clearing goods            enforcement, and resulted in the faster turnaround
                             and vehicles, and             time in the clearing of goods
                         2.	 reform and
                             benchmark port
                             clearing systems to
                             make them efficient
                             to support import and
                             export trade
    24.                  Digitisation of the renewal   Implemented. All NHIS members can now renew their
                         of National Health            membership using their mobile phones
                         Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
                         Membership
    26.                  Mobile Money Payments         Implemented. The first of its kind in Africa, which
                         Interoperability System       enables interoperability between bank accounts,
                                                       e-Zwich accounts, and mobile wallets across all
                                                       banks and telcos, it is a major step towards financial
                                                       inclusion and cashless payments for services
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      30.   A Universal QR Code         Rollout has started. This makes it possible for retailers
            Payments System             to receive payments on their mobile phones without
                                        the need for a traditional Point of Sale device. Ghana
                                        is the only country in Africa, and one of the few in the
                                        world, with a Universal QR CODE payment system
      31.   Digital reforms in courts     1.	   E-Justice System for online filing processes
            administration                2.	   Electronic Case Tracking System to enable
                                                electronic tracking of cases, and
                                          3.	   Electronic Case Distribution system for fair,
                                                equitable and transparent distribution of cases
                                                among judges
      34.   Ghana.Gov Platform          Being piloted with 15 MDAs. All MDAs will eventually
            to allow MDAs to offer      be on-boarded on the platform. Ghana.gov enables
            digitised services to       payment for all government services digitally.
            citizens from a single      Implementation of Ghana.gov is expected to increase
            portal                      government revenue by at least 50%
      35.   Electricity Company of      This currently allows about 2.8 million ECG customers
            Ghana (ECG) App             to buy units for their meters through their mobile
                                        phone at any time of the day or night. 100% of ECG
                                        customers will be covered by the end of 2020
    37.                  Streamlining of pensions   Pensions applications are now processed within two
                         processing                 weeks
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      39.   Develop and implement          The National Export Development Strategy has been
            a comprehensive,               drafted and approved
            project-based export
            diversification action plan
      42.   1. 	 Develop a database of     1.	 This has been implemented through YEA’s Job-
                 the labour market with        Matching Centres and the creation of an Artisans’
                 a view to establishing        Directory
                 a National Apprentice     2.	 Government has also created a web-based
                 Recruitment Agency/           product gallery - www.ghanatrade.com.gh - which
                 Establish the National        allows SMEs to showcase their products
                 Recruitment Agency
                 as primary source
                 for channelling
                 job openings to
                 Ghanaians
            2. 	 Develop a database
                 of trained apprentices
                 and artisans
            3. 	 Establish
                 apprenticeship and
                 skills development
                 centres to train
                 skilled labour force
                 for specific industrial
                 sectors
                         4. 	 Create an information
                              portal and set up
                              a task force to
                              assist artisans in
                              showcasing their work
    44.                  Support local airlines and    A supportive investment climate, including the removal
                         entrepreneurs to set up       of VAT on domestic flight tickets, has seen private
                         strong private airlines       investments in the sector, including that of Passion
                                                       Air. The attainment by the Ghana Meteorological
                                                       Agency (GMet) of certification of Quality Management
                                                       System (QMS), ISO 9001, 2015, when implemented at
                                                       Kotoka, Kumasi and Tamale Airports, and the ranking
                                                       of Kotoka by the Airport Council International (ACI)
                                                       as 1st in West Africa and 4th in Africa in 2019, will
                                                       attract many more airlines and position Ghana as the
                                                       Regional Aviation Hub
    45.                  Work with the private         Watermelon, Sheanut, Millet, Rice, Maize, Groundnuts,
                         sector to establish agro-     and Yam Processing Factories are being constructed
                         processing industries         in the Northern Development Authority area among
                         and manufacturing             others
                         plants in the Northern
                         Development Authority
                         (NDA) area
    46.                  Re-orient energy tariff       In March 2018, PURC effected 17.5% reduction in
                         policy to reduce the          tariffs for residential consumers whilst non-residential
                         burden on businesses          consumers experienced 30% reduction in tariffs.
                         (Reduce electricity tariffs   The Special Load Tariff (LV, MV and HV) customers
                         for businesses)               experienced 25% reduction in tariffs whilst the mines
                                                       category experienced 10% reduction in tariffs. Though
                                                       tariffs were marginally increased in 2019, the net effect
                                                       was an 11% reduction in power tariffs for consumers
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      49.   Facilitate dedicated           Government has made available US$78M for last-
            lands for development          mile support services to Industrial Parks and related
            of industrial parks and        activities
            enclaves as well as
            enterprise free zones
      50.   Develop modern markets         69 markets have been completed with 63 ongoing
            and retail infrastructure in
            every district
      52.   Encourage FDIs into            Government has promoted the establishment of large-
            Labour-Intensive sectors       scale, labour-intensive industrial projects, particularly
                                           in the Garment and Textile sector
      53.   Develop and implement        This is being implemented through linkages between
            in collaboration with the    “Planting for Food and Jobs” and “One District, One
            Ministry of Agriculture,     Factory” initiatives
            a programme of action
            for the production
            and supply of quality
            agricultural raw materials
            for industry
      55.   Realign the focus of         A restructured and realigned GIPC has led to Ghana
            Ghana Investment             being the destination of choice for Foreign Direct
            Promotion Centre to          Investments (FDI) in West Africa according to the 2019
            attract investments          World Investment Report by UNCTAD
            into selected strategic
            industries
      56.   Merge National Board for     An Enterprise Ghana Agency (EGA) Bill has been
            Small Scale Industries       drafted to repeal the Act establishing NBSSI, and
            (NBSSI) and Rural            replace it with the EGA. In addition, the Rural
            Enterprises Project (REP)    Enterprises Programme will be absorbed into the EGA
            to consolidate public
            resources
    57.                  Establish the Ghana          The Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC) has
                         International Trade          been established and fully operationalised, with two
                         Commission                   (2) critical Legislative Instruments enacted on Anti-
                                                      Dumping and Customs Valuation (Dispute Settlement)
                                                      Regulations. The Commission has commenced
                                                      hearing of petitions on unfair trade practices
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                                                          41
     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      59.   Ensure farming inputs       Being executed through the five modules of “Planting
            are available in farming    for Food and Jobs (PFJ).” These are: “Rearing for
            communities and at          Food and Jobs (RFJ)”, “Planting for Exports and Rural
            affordable prices           Development (PERD)”, the Food Crops component,
                                        Greenhouse Villages, and Agricultural Mechanisation
                                        Centres
      60.   1.	 Revive the Grains       1.	 The Board has been resourced to supply
                and Legumes                 foundation and breeder seeds to seed producers
                Development Board,          to support the “Planting for Food and Jobs
                and                         initiative,” leading to accelerated growth of grain
            2.	 Support private seed        production in Ghana. Under PERD, in 2018
                growers to increase         and 2019, 14 million seedlings were raised and
                supply of improved          distributed to 65,474 farmers (26% of whom were
                seeds to farmers            female) and planted in 69,792 hectares
                                        2.	 We have provided machinery and foundation
                                            seeds, through the Grains and Legumes
                                            Development Board, to 15 farmer groups as well
                                            as to research institutions. As a result, foundation
                                            seed production increased from 24MT in 2016 to
                                            473.5MT in 2019 as follows:
                                              2016 – 24.0MT
2017 - 89.61MT
2018 - 267.34MT
2019 - 473.5MT
      62.   Expand local processing     Local processing of cocoa has increased from 27%
            of cocoa                    to 40% currently. There are also plans to establish
                                        indigenous processing factories. WAMCO is also now
                                        operational
    63.                  Promote cattle ranching       Ongoing in Wawase in the Afram Plains, and also
                         and facilitate land           Accra Plains (Around Juapong)
                         acquisition for its
                         development
    64.                  Provide patrol boats to       For the first time, the Navy has been supplied with four
                         police foreign fishing        patrol boats, and the Police Marine Unit with two, to
                         vessels                       enhance security along Ghana’s territorial waters
    65.                  Place fisherfolk directly     The reconstituted pre-mix fuel distribution committees
                         in charge of subsidised       at the landing sites doubles up as the channel for
                         inputs at local outlets       distribution of inputs
    66.                  Encourage local poultry       3 dormant factories have been revamped and are in
                         meat processing               operation (Darko Farms in Kumasi, Aglow Farms in
                                                       Cape Coast, and Asamoah and Yamoah Farms in
                                                       Kumasi). In addition, the “Rearing for Food and Jobs
                                                       (RFJ)” Programme is being implemented
    67.                  Support accelerated           This is being executed under the “Aquaculture for
                         development of selected       Food and Jobs (AFJ)”, “Planting for Food and Jobs
                         products including            (PFJ)” and the “Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ)”
                         grains, vegetables, fruits,   initiatives. Under RFJ, 30,000 cockerels have been
                         tubers, oil palm, cotton,     distributed to 3,000 farmers in selected regions for
                         shea, cashew, cocoa,          crossing with local hens to improve weight and egg-
                         horticulture, livestock,      laying rate. A total of 7,500 small ruminants were
                         fisheries and poultry         also distributed to 750 farmers. A further 531,100
                                                       improved breeds of livestock and poultry species will
                                                       be distributed by the end of the year
    68.                  Increase subsidies on         Is being implemented under the “Planting for Food
                         retail prices of seeds,       and Jobs” Initiative through a 50% subsidy on seeds
                         fertilisers and other         and fertilisers
                         agrochemicals
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      69.   Support selected             1.	 Is being executed through the “One District, One
            products with storage,           Warehouse” initiative. 102 warehouses are under
            transportation, marketing        construction of which 28 have been completed. 74
            and distribution                 ongoing
                                         2.	 Under the “Planting for Food and Jobs”
                                             Programmes, the Ghana Commodity Exchange
                                             has been established and the National Food Buffer
                                             Stock Company (NAFCO) has been reactivated.
                                             NAFCO, which had stopped operations in
                                             2015, has been reactivated and is central to key
                                             Government initiatives like the School Feeding
                                             Programme, “One District, One Warehouse,”
                                             “Planting for Food and Jobs,” and the operation of
                                             the Ghana Commodity Exchange
      70.   Improve fertiliser           More distribution agents have been deployed, and
            distribution                 the entire process is in the process of being digitised.
                                         From 2017 to the first half of 2020, we have distributed
                                         919,193 MT of fertiliser (organic and inorganic) to
                                         farmers
      71.   Work to achieve the          Government has recruited 2,700 Extension Officers,
            UN-Recommended 1             and will continue
            Extension Officer to 500
            Farmers
      72.   Have discussions with        Ghana has concluded discussions with Burkina Faso,
            Burkina Faso for a more      and modalities for controlled spillage have been
            controlled spillage of the   agreed and in force. An Inter-Ministerial Committee
            Bagre dam                    has implemented the dredging of the White and Black
                                         Volta and their tributaries, which cause the perennial
                                         flooding
      74.   Revive agricultural          New varieties of sweet potato have been introduced,
            research at CSIR and         while research on coconut and palm is ongoing. In
            faculties in public          addition, we have established a West Africa Centre
            universities                 for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture
                                         (WACWISA) at the University for Development Studies
                                         to augment agricultural research
    75.                  Provide a framework for       Ongoing, including for rice farmers in Nasia-Nabogu,
                         smallholder farmers to        Fumbisi and New Edubiase, under the Youth-In-
                         undertake block farming       Agriculture Programme, which is now functioning
                         and providing incentives,     under the UN-Sponsored GASIP Project
                         including land banks, for
                         large scale commercial
                         farm investors
    76.                  Ensure cocoa farmers          1.	 We have increased producer prices for cocoa
                         receive:                          farmers
                         •	 increased producer         2.	 With the Living Income Differential (LID) under
                            prices plus bonuses            the Ghana-Cote D’Ivoire Co-Operation, cocoa
                            to encourage high              farmers will be earning additional income through a
                            production volumes             US$400 per tonne premium on the world price for
                         •	 stable prices/                 cocoa
                            protected against
                            exchange rate effects
    79.                  Support private sector to     The private sector is being supported with working
                         expand local production       capital through the Agricultural Development Bank
                         of poultry feed and           (ADB) to produce feeds locally. With the substantial
                         veterinary products           increase in soya production, Ghana will eventually
                                                       stop the importation of soya meal for poultry feeds
                                                       production
    80.                  Facilitate access to credit   Secured US$37 million from the African Development
                         for poultry industry          Bank (AfDB) for the development of commercial
                                                       poultry farming in the Savannah and Northern
                                                       Regions. Also under the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk
                                                       Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL)
                                                       Programme, the poultry industry is being supported.
                                                       ADB is currently implementing a lending programme
                                                       along the entire value-chain of the sub-sector
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      81.   Institute anti-dumping        A permit system has been introduced to regulate the
            measures on poultry           importation of poultry products
      82.   Use government                This is being done through the Buffer Stock Company
            purchasing power to           for the School Feeding Programme, as well as
            create demand for locally-    supplies to Senior High Schools
            produced food items
      83.   Develop capacity for          Feasibility, land acquisition, and soil tests completed.
            local fertiliser production   Construction is scheduled to commence next year,
            using gas and petroleum       2021
            resources
      84.   Provide mechanism             This forms part of the Pwalugu Irrigation Project,
            to capture the water          which was launched in 2019. Dredging along the
            released by the annual        catchment area was initiated in 2019, and desilting is
            spillage at Bagre Dam,        expected every other year
            and use for irrigation
            purposes
      85.   Implement “One Village,       We are implementing a holistic plan to provide farmers
            One Dam” community-           and households, especially in the North, access to
            owned/managed irrigation      water all year round. This infrastructure plan has two
            policy & rehabilitate         components:
            existing public irrigation
                                          1.	 Small-Earth Dams: for water storage, irrigation, and
            schemes (Vea especially)
                                              livestock. This is the largest stock of such small-
            and develop new ones in
                                              earth dams provided since independence. 439
            the North & Afram Plains
                                              small-earth dams are under construction. 375 have
                                              been completed, and 64 are between 90-100%
                                              complete. Each dam provides water for up to five
                                              (5) hectares
                                          2.	 Large-Scale Dams:
                                          -	 Tono has been rehabilitated and rehabilitation
                                             projects on both the left and right banks of Kpong
                                             are in progress.
    86.                  Enforce the fisheries        The Fisheries Law Enforcement Unit has conducted
                         management policies in       over 550 observer missions and intensified sea and
                         the Fisheries Act of 2002    land patrols as part of an enforcement regime
                         (Act 625) to stop pair
                         trawling and other illegal
                         fishing methods
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
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      90.   Upgrade the road            Being executed under Cocoa Roads projects, as well
            infrastructure connecting   as the Rural Roads - Farm Access Roads project,
            farming communities to      funded by the EU with US$32 million.
            marketing centers
    91.                  Increase local production   •	 The success of PFJ has led to increased farmer
                         of food to enhance food        participation from 202,000 in 2017 to 1.2 million in
                         security                       2019
                                                     •	 PFJ has led to an increase in the national
                                                        production of maize by 71% (from 1.7 million MT in
                                                        2016 to 2.9 million MT in 2019) and of paddy rice
                                                        by 34% (from 688,000 MT in 2016 to 925,000 MT
                                                        in 2019)
                                                     •	 Additionally, PFJ has led to yields of maize, rice,
                                                        and soybean, increasing by 131%, 59%, and 69%
                                                        respectively
                                                     •	 Despite the increase in per capita consumption
                                                        of rice from 35kg/per person in 2016 to 55kg/per
                                                        person in 2019, Ghana has attained 50% self-
                                                        sufficiency in rice production and it is targeted to
                                                        attain full self-sufficiency by 2023
                                                     •	 Under Planting for Food and Jobs, Ghana is
                                                        not only self-sufficient in maize production, but
                                                        exporting 19 food items, including maize, to the
                                                        rest of ECOWAS countries. These exports have
                                                        increased by 56.6% between 2016 and 2019, from
                                                        85,000 MT to 133,145 MT
                                                     •	 The Global Food Security Index, which measures
                                                        affordability, availability and quality of food across
                                                        113 countries, placed Ghana in 59th position in
                                                        2019 up from 79th position in 2018. The same
                                                        Index placed Ghana in 3rd position in Sub-Saharan
                                                        Africa after South Africa and Botswana
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
1.6. Education
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      1.6. Education
     NO.    PROMISES                    WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
      92.    Encourage the Colleges      Curricula developed. Colleges now run 4-Year
             of Education to update      Bachelor of Education programmes. Teacher trainees
             their curricula to          will now graduate with Bachelor’s degrees, and will
             ensure they produce         not need to take study leave to go back to acquire the
             graduates that would        degree
             teach the well-equipped
             and critical thinking
             population we need
             to move the country
             forward
      93.    Undertake a national        The national audit of skills has been completed by
             audit of skills and         the Council for Technical and Vocational Education
             competencies in a           Training (COTVET)
             bid to align training
             opportunities and
             resources to respond to
             national and local human
             resource demands
      1.6. Education
     NO.     PROMISES                    WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
      98.    Restore book and            We have not only restored it: we have increased it by
             research allowances for     200%
             lecturers
      99.    Introduce History of        Included in the Curriculum which has been approved
             Ghana as a subject for      by Cabinet. Over 180 Master Trainers, 3,900 District-
             primary schools             level Trainers, and 152,000 teachers have been
                                         trained for this purpose
      100.   Integrate school sports     Free PE kits are being provided to students under the
             as part of school           Free SHS programme
             activities
      101.   Abolish the payment of      Implemented. The Tertiary Education Policy abolished
             utility bills by students   the payment of utility bills in tertiary Institutions
      105.   Increase amount of loans    The loan amount has been increased by 50% and
             under the Student Loan      ranges between GHc1,500 and GHc3,000
             Scheme
      106.   Establish a                 Funding secured for two foundries, and sod has been
             manufacturing plant at      cut for the commencement of a machine tool centre
             KNUST                       to be constructed in Kumasi
       1.6. Education
  NO.                    PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
       107.              Strengthen and equip         The National Inspectorate Board has been
                         the Inspectorate Board,      operationalised, staffed, and provided with
                         as an independent body,      infrastructural and technical support to enable it carry
                         to enable it carry out its   out its mandate. With these resources, the National
                         inspection mandate           Inspectorate Board has been able to digitise its data
                                                      collection system, built a secure and comprehensive
                                                      database for schools’ inspection and trained a team
                                                      of inspectors
       108.              Provide effective and        Manuals prepared for basic schools. 80% of SHSs
                         professional guidance        have coordinators. Same is planned for all schools
                         and counselling services
                         to pupils
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      1.6. Education
     NO.     PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
      113.   Ensure that all teachers     ICT is now compulsory in all Teacher Training
             have ICT competence          Colleges
      114.   Introduce programming        1.	 To date 313,250 basic school students have been
             at the Junior and Senior         introduced to basic coding
             High schools                 2.	 Coding introduced at 25 SHSs and equipment
                                              supplies in progress
      115.   Provide appropriate and      1. A US$1.5B loan, of which US$500M has been
             adequate infrastructure      disbursed, has been secured on the back of GETFund
             and learning facilities      to develop educational infrastructure. Massive
             to accommodate               infrastructure development across educational
             expansion and ensure         institutions currently ongoing
             conducive teaching,
                                          2. We have completed the construction and
             learning, and research in
                                          commissioning of Phase I of the Somanya campus
             tertiary institutions
                                          of the University of Environment and Sustainable
                                          Development (UESD) for which a sod was hurriedly
                                          cut in December 2016 by the outgoing Mahama-
                                          led NDC Government. In addition, we have secured
                                          funding for Phase II of the campus and cut sod for
                                          construction to commence
      116.   Collaborate with GNAT,       An agreement has been reached between UNOPS
             NAGRAT, and others to        and the Government to construct 100,000 housing
             facilitate an affordable     units for teachers and other education professionals
             housing scheme for
             teachers
        1.6. Education
  NO.                    PROMISES                    WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
        118.             Collaborate with the        Contract awarded to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity
                         private sector to provide   to all 722 SHSs, 46 Colleges of Education (CoEs), 16
                         free WiFi coverage          Regional Offices, and 260 District Education Offices
                         to senior secondary
                         schools and tertiary
                         institutions
        119.             Establish fund for          Research & Innovation Fund Bill gazetted. Will be laid
                         research and innovation     before Parliament
        120.             Introduce Arabic as an      Has been included in the ongoing JHS and SHS
                         optional language to be     Curriculum review. When completed, Arabic will be
                         taught and examined at      introduced as an optional subject
                         the JHS and SHS levels
        123.             Improve ICT facilities      Curriculum approved and rolled out. Discussions
                         and curriculum of ICT       ongoing for distribution of tablets to JHS and SHS
                                                     students
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      1.6. Education
     NO.     PROMISES                   WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
      125.   Abolish the 3-month pay     We abandoned the three-month pay policy we
             policy of the NDC           inherited for newly-recruited teachers, and have
                                         cleared the legacy arrears
      126.   Clear the backlog           The period of staying on a grade before consideration
             of promotions and           for promotion for teachers who upgrade their
             introduce new promotion     qualifications and skills is now halved to two years.
             exam for transparency
      128.   Increase the capitation     We have increased capitation grant by 122% from
             grant                       GH¢4.5 per pupil to GH¢10 per pupil for Primary
                                         Schools
      129.   Provide Buses and           Government has procured 1,190 vehicles to Senior
             vehicles for Senior High    High Schools made up of 350 buses and 840 pickups
             Schools
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1.7. Health
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     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      1.7. Health
     NO.     PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
      132.   Facilitate the early         All nurses denied engagement by the NDC have been
             placement of trained         placed
             nurses, public health
             personnel, and teachers
             denied employment by
             the NDC
      134.   Strengthen the National      Over 300 Ambulances supplied to the National
             Ambulance Service            Ambulance Authority (NAS), one in every
                                          Constituency, under the “One-Constituency, One
                                          Ambulance” initiative. NAS has also been provided
                                          with a state of the art, digitised Command Centre to
                                          field emergency calls and to dispatch ambulances
      135.   Establish Centres for        Breast Cancer is already covered by the Scheme.
             Cancers and cover the        Herceptin, the expensive cancer drug, has now also
             cost under NHIS              been added and is paid for by the NHIS
      136.   Expand and equip             The Ho Regional Hospital has been converted into a
             medical schools to train     Teaching Hospital
             more medical doctors
      137.   Collaborate with             This is being piloted with GIZ, under which wellness
             the private sector to        clinics are being set up within the Dodowa, Legon,
             establish wellness clinics   and Tema Hospitals
      139    Pass Legislative             Mental Health Legislative Regulations, 2019 (LI 2385)
             Instrument for the           have been brought into effect
             implementation of the
             Mental Health Act
      140.   Implement national           Electronic System for Early Detection has been
             epidemic response            established
             system
        1.7. Health
  NO.                    PROMISES                    WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
        141.             Upgrade all existing        1.	 Ga East District Hospital has been completed and
                         district hospitals where        commissioned while 10 polyclinics have been
                         they exist, and where           completed and commissioned in the Central
                         they do not, establish          Region
                         one                         2.	 Construction of 5 District Hospitals in Sawla,
                                                         Tolon, Somanya, Buipe and Wheta, and a
                                                         Polyclinic in Bamboi are ongoing
                                                     3.	 We have begun the process to construct 101
                                                         hospitals with accommodation for doctors and
                                                         nurses in Districts without hospitals across the
                                                         regions
                                                     4.	 Construction of a District Hospital at Obuasi,
                                                         Anyinam Trauma Hospital and Rehabilitation
                                                         of Enyiresi Government Hospital have been
                                                         completed
        142.             Introduce Drones in the     Four medical drone centres established and
                         distribution of blood and   operational in Omenako, Mampong, Walewale and
                         medicines                   Sefwi Wiawso. As at the end of June, 2020, 79,800
                                                     medical products have been delivered to 945 health
                                                     facilities of the service range of the drone centres. In
                                                     addition, it has delivered over 2,500 CoVID samples
                                                     to testing centres in Accra (Noguchi) and Kumasi
                                                     (KCCR)
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
                                                          65
     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      145.   Expand the School           We increased the number of beneficiary pupils under
             Feeding Programme           the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP)
                                         from 1,671,766 in 2016 to 2,980,000, beneficiaries,
                                         representing an increase of 78.3%. We have also
                                         increased the feeding grant from the 0.80 pesewas per
                                         child per school-going day inherited in 2017 to GH¢1.0
                                         since 2018
      148.   Work with District          Kayayei have been exempted from market tolls
             Assemblies to exempt
             Kayayei from market tolls
      150.   Set aside 50% of            Approximately 80% of MASLOC Loans are disbursed
             MASLOC funds for            to female applicants
             female applicants
    152.                 Pay all outstanding         Government has released GH¢3.1 billion in Public
                         contributions to Pension    Sector Workers’ Tier 2 pensions contributions
                         Funds, including Tier 2     that were withheld for a long time by the previous
                         Funds, for Public Sector    administration
                         Workers
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      159.   Develop a 10-year Power      The Integrated Power System Master Plan for Ghana
             Sector Master Plan to        was developed in 2018 as the Master Plan for the
             meet medium- and long-       power sector
             term energy needs
      160.   Reduce taxes on              Our government is the first in the history of the
             electricity tariffs to       4th Republic to have reduced electricity prices in
             households and industry      cumulative terms of -11% compared to a cumulative
                                          increase of +265% under the Mahama-led NDC
                                          Government.
      161.   Ensure that procurement      Done. Two Policy Guidelines have been approved and
             of new power projects        are currently in force:
             is executed primarily
                                          1.	 Policy Guidelines for Least Cost Fuel Procurement,
             through PPP and IPP
                                              and
             arrangements and are
             transparent and resulting    2.	 Policy for Competitive Procurement of Energy
             in least-cost addition           Supply and Services Contracts
             of power generation          3.	 Also, in line with the Least Cost Fuel Procurement
             infrastructure                   Policy for power generation, the Karpowership was
                                              successfully moved from Tema to Sekondi
      162.   Ensure there is sufficient   Generally, 20-25% of the total generation capacity
             Reserve Margin to ensure     should be the available capacity. We now have
             stability of the system      35%. Even though we had excess capacity under
                                          the previous Government, they were unable to fuel
                                          and operate the plants and therefore they were
                                          unavailable. Currently we are able to do so
    165.                 Ensure effective          The National Petroleum Authority has been effective
                         implementation of         in implementing petroleum price deregulation. Since
                         the petroleum price       2017, it has not intervened in the automatic price
                         deregulation policy       determination mechanism, and continues to make use
                                                   only of the price stabilisation mechanisms provided by
                                                   the law
    166.                 Improve on the quality    NPA has revised the sulphur content standards
                         of fuel produced or       from 3,000ppm to 50ppm (equivalent to European
                         imported into Ghana by    Standards), which are being currently implemented
                         reviewing standards for
                         sulphur content in the
                         fuels
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
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      169.   Revise gas processing        Domestic gas price has been reduced from $8.40
             and transportation Tariffs   per mbtu from when the NDC was in government to
             as well as Levies            $6.08 currently as a result of the review in levies (e.g.
                                          reduction of regulatory levies from 40cents to 10cents)
      170.   Decouple Ghana National      We have reversed the decision by the previous
             Gas Company (GNGC)           Government to combine the two entities
             and Ghana National
             Petroleum Corporation
             (GNPC)
      171.   Accelerate oil exploration   We have concluded a 2-D seismic survey which
             in the Voltain basin         was started in 2018. The data is being processed to
                                          interpret it. Early assessment has been encouraging.
                                          GNPC will drill two wells to establish the extent of
                                          accumulation of crude oil
    174.                 Relocate the                 The sod for the construction of the operational
                         headquarters of GNPC         headquarters of GNPC in the Western Region has
                         to the Western Region        been cut
                         as part of strategy to
                         position the region as an
                         oil services hub
    180.                 Clear all government         Government debts owed to ECG fully paid as of March
                         debts owed to ECG            2020
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
                                                                NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) • 2020 MANIFESTO     75
     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      182.   Develop long term LNG       To utilise LNG, a regassification facility is currently
             utilisation programme       under development in Tema. The primary strategy
             as part of strategy to      is for LNG to be imported only whenever there is
             leverage natural gas as     demand that cannot be met by domestic sources due
             long-term source central    to a variety of reasons
             to the operation of the
             power sector
      184.   Develop Regional Oil        GNPC has allocated $10m for land acquisition and
             Services Hub in the         related expenditures to commence the project
             Western Region in
             collaboration with the
             private sector
      185.   Adopt a distributed solar   Programme has started. Ministry of Energy and Volta
             energy solution for all     River Authority buildings completed. Jubilee House
             government and public       ongoing
             buildings
      186.   Reduce and renegotiate      •	 Relocated the Karpower ship to Takoradi to utilise
             existing contracts to          Sankofa gas
             reduce their burden on      •	 Terminated the Quantum Gas project
             the economy
                                         •	 Terminated the Takoradi LNG project
                                         •	 Renegotiated the AMERI Power Purchase
                                            Agreement to reduce costs by 13%
                                         •	 Renegotiated the capacity charge under the CENIT
                                            Power Purchase Agreement, which has resulted in
                                            a 31% reduction and conversion of the PPA from
                                            Take-or-Pay to Take-and-Pay
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
           •	            The Mahama-led NDC Government signed power contracts on a Take-or-Pay basis.
                         Less than 40% of the contracted Take-or-Pay capacity is being used. In effect, we are
                         paying for the remaining 60 percent of excess capacity which we do not need nor actually
                         consume in the sum of over half a billion U.S. dollars annually
           •	            The Mahama-led NDC also contracted around 750 mmscf of gas per day by 2023. Current
                         demand is around 250 mmscf per day, and projected to rise to between 450 and 550
                         mmscf per day by 2023, a projected oversupply of 200 to 300 mmscf per day by 2023.
                         Secondly, about 640 mmscf of the contracted gas supply is on a Take-or-Pay basis,
                         meaning we have to pay whether we use it or not.
           •	            We now face an average annual excess gas capacity charge of US$700 million annually
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1.10.	Infrastructure
      Development
                                                          79
     PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      187.     Expand road network, tar      •	 40 town roads completed (36 ongoing)
               roads in District capitals    •	 635 urban roads and streets completed
               and extend them to major
                                             •	 117 foot bridges completed
               towns
                                             •	 138 feeder roads completed
                                             •	 Several Highways such as Bolga-Bawku, Eastern
                                                Corridor and others are ongoing
                                             •	 Other Highways, such as Lawra-Hamile, have been
                                                completed
                                             •	 46 bridges completed (33 ongoing)
      188.     Tar gravel roads,             This is being done partly under the Cocoa Roads
               especially in areas of high   project and the US$32-Million EU-Funded Rural
               agricultural production       Roads/Farm Access Roads Project
      189.     Rehabilitate and revive       1.	 Construction of Kumasi Airport Phases II and III is
               airport infrastructure            90% complete
                                             2.	 Rehabilitation of Sunyani Airport is 50% complete
                                             3.	 Construction of Tamale Airport Phase III is 30%
                                                 complete
    190.                 Expand Sports              1.	 Construction of ten (10) 5,000 seater Youth and
                         infrastructure                 Sports Centres of Excellence in ten regions of the
                                                        country are at various stages of completion.
                                                       •	 Kaneshie, (Greater Accra)
                                                       •	 Ho (Volta)
                                                       •	 Koforidua (Eastern)
                                                       •	 Axim (Western)
                                                       •	 Nyinahin (Ashanti)
                                                       •	 Dunkwa On-Offin (Central)
                                                       •	 Dormaa (Bono)
                                                       •	 Navrongo (Upper East)
                                                       •	 Yendi (Northern)
                                                       •	 Wa (Upper West)
                                                    Three of the Centres are earmarked for use as Sports
                                                    Colleges:
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      191.     Expand Health               Of the 673 health sector projects undertaken, 378
               infrastructure              have been completed and 295 ongoing. Completed
                                           projects include:
      193.     Review location and         New guidelines are being implemented by NPA, which
               lay-bys of fuel stations    among other things set a minimum distance (500m)
               to reduce accidents on      apart for fuel stations
               highways
      194.     Toilets for All             Our government has constructed the largest number
                                           of places of convenience by any government in the
                                           4th Republic. Under the Greater Accra Metropolitan
                                           Area Water and Sanitation Project, 27,242 household
                                           and 238 institutional toilets have been constructed.
                                           Under the Sustainable and Rural Water and Sanitation
                                           project, 12,972 household toilets have been
                                           constructed and 351 communities have attained Open
                                           Defecation-Free (ODF) status.
    196.                 “Water For All”            A total of 812 hand pump boreholes have been
                                                    completed along with 476 mechanized boreholes
                                                    across the country. 807 mechanized borehole projects
                                                    are also ongoing nationwide
    197.                 Rebuild Ghana’s Railway    The railway projects, being undertaken since 2017,
                         infrastructure             include the completed rehabilitation of Accra – Tema
                                                    (30 km), Achimota – Nsawam (33 km), and Kojokrom –
                                                    Tarkwa (56 km) narrow guage lines. Also:
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    199.                 Facilitate the construction   1.	 5,770.45 acres acquired as at 2018 at Sege and
                         of low- and mid-income            Ojobi. Additional 1,313 acres of land sourced at
                         housing over the short,           Fiankonya and Kweiman for housing
                         medium, and long term         2.	 Government has established the National Housing
                                                           and Mortgage Finance Scheme to address both
                                                           the housing supply and demand side financing
                                                           challenges
    200.                 Develop world-standard        Implemented as the Ghana Innovation Hub (GIH) under
                         ICT Incubator Hubs            a World Bank funding arrangement. The Accra Digital
                                                       Centre also provides a hub for young innovators and
                                                       businesses
    201.                 Increase access to data       Cost of data reduced significantly (40%, from $1.56
                         platforms by reducing         per 1G in 2019 to $0.94 in 2020) to the sixth cheapest
                         tariffs on the use of data    in Africa
                         for internet access
    202.                 Extension of fibre optic      Done. In collaboration with the private sector
                         network to western
                         corridor of the country
    203.                 Expand and modernise          Government renegotiated the terms of the project.
                         Tema Port                     Works are currently underway for the construction
                                                       of four (4) dedicated container berths. The first two
                                                       berths have been completed and in operation. It
                                                       provides for increased capacity to berth more cargo
                                                       and containerised services
    204.                 Expand and modernise          The Takoradi Port Expansion Project is progressing
                         Takoradi Port                 steadily. A Multi-Purpose Container Terminal
                                                       commenced in 2019 and the Dry Bulk Jetty is almost
                                                       completed
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      205.     Coastal Sea Defence          The following sea defence projects were commenced
               Projects                     after 2017 and are ongoing:
      209.     Establish the                IPEP has been established with a supervising Ministry,
               Infrastructure For Poverty   Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) with
               Eradication Programme        implementation by Development Authorities
               (IPEP)
The selection of projects presented above is a snapshot representation of more than 17,000
separate infrastructure projects we have developed to date in just our first term. It is by far the
largest number of infrastructure projects undertaken by any government in the 4th Republic,
and the infrastructure database we have developed, the first of its kind by any Ghanaian
government, enables us better track and complete projects.
The complete database can be accessed and interrogated, right down to District (and in some
cases Constituency and Town basis) at www.deliverytracker.gov.gh.
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                                                          93
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      211.   Target 30,000 ha of degraded       A total of 25,000 ha have been planted under
             areas for reforestation and        the Forestry Commission Youth-In-Afforestation
             plantation development             Programme
             annually
      212.   Establish 1000 ha of bamboo        More than 1,000 ha of bamboo planted in 2019.
             and rattan plantations annually    In addition, 400 Bamboo and Rattan artisans
                                                have been trained
      213.   Establish tree and plantain        Under Phase 1, 520 communities are producing
             suckers in a minimum of            plantain and other food crops under the
             800 communities to supply          Modified Taungya System
             the seedlings for national
             reforestation and plantation
             development programmes
      214.   Extend forestry conservation       Five (5) Community Resource Management Area
             areas                              (CREMA) Blocks covering an area of 88,807 ha.
                                                and 257 communities were involved in forest
                                                conservation projects. About 800 ha of sacred
                                                grooves have also been currently brought under
                                                Forest Management and Forest Management
                                                Plans, and are now being developed together
                                                with 20 selected communities
    216.                 Mainstream strategic mineral      1.	 Government is exercising its rights under the
                         feedstock into the domestic           Mining Law (Sections 6, 7 and 104) to ensure
                         economy to support economic           that up to 30% of gold produced in Ghana is
                         value addition                        refined locally
                                                           2.	 In addition to the privately owned ones,
                                                               Precious Minerals Marketing Company
                                                               (PMMC) is building another refinery
    218.                 Provide incentives for private    The establishment of GIISDEC will anchor
                         investors for sustainable         private sector investment into mineral
                         exploration of minerals in        exploration in the NDA area. In addition,
                         the Northern Development          investors have been incentivised under the “One
                         Authority area                    District, One Factory” initiative and are investing
                                                           in the NDA area
    219.                 Clean Rivers Programme:           A total of 9 million trees have been planted along
                         Replant trees along the banks     rivers under the Forestry Commission Youth-In-
                         of all major water bodies and     Afforestation Programme
                         their tributaries
    220.                 Restructure & Regulate small-     Over 4,000 artisanal miners trained in improved
                         scale mining sub-sector and       mining technologies at George Grant University
                         artisans so that activities can   of Mines and Technology (UMAT). Community-
                         take place within guidelines      based mining concessions have been issued
                         set up under the appropriate      and operating under strict supervision
                         regulations
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      222.   Fully decentralise Lands             The plan to establish the District Offices is being
             Commission and land services         implemented. Two District Offices have been
             to the district level                established in Winneba and Ga West. Activities
                                                  towards land reforms and decentralisation
                                                  include the digitisation and automation of land
                                                  registration processes which is in progress
      223.   Decentralise the Minerals            13 new offices have been opened, including
             Commission by establishing           1 Regional Office in Tamale and four District
             additional District Offices of the   Offices in Hohoe, Kenyasi, Cape Coast and Ho
             Commission
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                                                          99
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
       225.   Establish, in collaboration   Six (6) new Centres of Excellence for Development
              with the private sector, a    Impact have been set up:
              flagship system of Ghana
                                            These are:
              Centres of Excellence
              to network all Higher         1.	 University of Ghana (UG): West Africa Genetic
              Education Institutes to           Medicine Centre (WAGMC)
              support research and          2.	 Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
              innovation                        Technology (KNUST)Regional Transport Research
                                                and Education Centre, Kumasi (TRECK)
                                            3.	 KNUST: Engineering Education Project (KEEP)
                                            4.	 University of Cape Coast (UCC): Africa Centre of
                                                Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECOR)
                                            5.	 University for Development Studies (UDS): West
                                                Africa Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable
                                                Agriculture (WACWISA), and
                                            6.	 K. A. Busia University of Energy and Natural
                                                Resources (UENR): Regional Centre for Energy and
                                                Environmental Sustainability (RCEES)
       227.   Map out the soil structure    Soil structure of the entire country has now been
              and composition of the        determined in collaboration with CSIR
              country
       228.   Build power plants            A partnership with Germany has been signed for the
              that use combustible          setting up of the plant (solar and biomas) at Atwiman
              domestic and industrial
              waste to generate
              electricity
       229.   Expand the research           Sod has been cut for the start of the parks
              and development
              capabilities of the country
              by establishing Regional
              Technology Parks
   230.                  Update and strengthen      This is being executed under the National Plastic
                         the National               Action Partnership and the Global Plastic Action
                         Environmental Protection   Partnership
                         Programme and the
                         Environmental Action
                         Plan
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DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
1.13.	Governance,
      Corruption and Public
      Accountability
                                                          103
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      233.   Reform the regulatory and     A. We have strengthened the legal framework to fight
             institutional framework for   corruption, passing into law:
             anti-corruption
                                           1.	 The Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 959)
                                           2.	 The Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2018 (Act
                                               959)
                                           3.	 Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Act, 2020
                                               (Act 1015)
                                           4.	 Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (LI
                                               2378)
                                           5.	 The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989):
                                               passed after 21 years since it was introduced and
                                               having gone through six parliaments under the 4th
                                               Republic
                                           6.	 The Companies Act, 2019, (Act 992), which
                                               provides a framework for establishing a beneficial
                                               ownership register
                                           B. We have also:
                                           7.	 Implemented several digitisation initiatives to
                                               prevent public-sector corruption
                                           8.	 Applied Open and Competitive Bidding for, and
                                               conducted Ghana’s first open bidding round for oil
                                               blocks
                                           9.	 Established a National Register of Contracts/
                                               Register of Petroleum Agreements, as provided for
                                               by the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act,
                                               2016 (Act 919), which the NDC refused to do. This
                                               enables anyone trace who the beneficial owners of
                                               interest in oil blocks are
                                           10.	We have successfully defended several legal claims
                                               against the State and reversed the trend where
                                               huge monetary awards are made against the State,
                                               saving €100,000,000, £920,000, US$13 million, and
                                               GH¢166 million in potential judgment debts, and
                                                        11.	More than forty (40) high profile persons have been
                                                            charged with various acts arising out of actions and
                                                            activities superintended by the Mahama-led NDC
                                                            administration, involving in monetary terms a total
                                                            of about US$265.5 million and GH¢2.225 billion.
                                                            To date, six (6) have been found guilty, three (3)
                                                            of whom have been jailed and ordered to refund
                                                            US$3 million to the state. The other three (3) have
                                                            been ordered to refund GH¢18.5 million and forfeit
                                                            assets, including eight (8) buildings and five (5)
                                                            luxurious vehicles to the state
 234.                    Restart the People’s           We have broadened and extended the concept into
                         Assemblies                     Town Hall Meetings, which have been addressed by
                                                        the Vice President, Sector Ministers, Ministers of State,
                                                        Regional Ministers and MMDCEs
 235.                    Request Parliament to          It is part of the Public Officials Code of Conduct Bill
                         amend the law to provide       currently before Parliament
                         for public disclosure of
                         asset declarations
 236.                    Publish and enforce a          The Public Officials Code of Conduct Bill, which is
                         Code of Conduct for            currently before Parliament, will address this issue
                         public officials to give
                         effect to Article 284 of the
                         Constitution
 237.                    Empower the National           Cabinet has approved conversion of the NRSC into an
                         Road Safety Commission         Authority with the necessary powers to enforce and
                         (NRSC) to enforce and          sanction operators in the sector
                         sanction road sector
                         operators
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      241.   Increase the direct          We have significantly increased the direct transfers of
             transfers of District        DACF funds to MMDAs from 35.1% in 2016 to 53.40%
             Assembly Common Fund         in 2019 in fulfilment of our commitment to curtail
             (DACF) funds to MMDAs        centralised spending on behalf of local government
                                          structures
      242.   Establish a Transaction      The National Procurement Authority has designed and
             Price Database to track      implemented it under the Common User Items Average
             typical project costs        Prices List
      243.   Decentralise Land            In collaboration with GIZ, the first phase is being
             Valuation Board to provide   implemented across 49 Districts
             direct technical support
             on property valuation to
             MMDAs
      244.   Create the Western North     Six new Regions have been created following the
             Region                       constitutional process, including the Western North
                                          Region
      245.   Restructure SADA into        This has been done with a functioning Board and
             Northern Development         Management. It is now the primary executing agency
             Authority (NDA)              for IPEP in the Northern Belt
 246.                    Establish the Middle Belt   The two have been established, with functioning
                         Development Authority       Boards and Management. They are the primary
                         & the Coastal Belt          executing agency for IPEP in the Middle and Coastal
                         Development Authority       Belts respectively
 247.                    Establish the Zongo         This has been done, with a supervising Ministry of
                         Development Fund            Inner-City and Zongo Development. The Fund has
                                                     financed several development projects across the
                                                     country
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1.14. Security
                                                          109
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
       1.14. Security
      NO.     PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
       249.   Curb proliferation of        1.	 The National Commission on Small Arms and Light
              small weapons, including         Weapons (NCSALW) under the Weapons Collection
              incorporating the                and Destruction Programme, has collected 2,892
              protocol on small arms           illicit arms for destruction
              and light weapons into       2.	 There is an ongoing exercise to mark weapons of
              our domestic law                 the Security Agencies and to collect and destroy
                                               seized illicit small arms from Police armouries and
                                               exhibit stores
                                           3.	 In addition, NCSALW has organised an
                                               international capacity building programme
                                               for officers from selected institutions on the
                                               implementation of arms control instruments and
                                               engaged in public awareness and education
                                               exercises to sensitise citizens
       250.   Expand and resource          Police Service has procured two Marine Boats to
              Marine Police to work        enhance security along the country’s territorial waters
              with the Navy to protect
              our offshore oil and gas
              installations
       252.   Recruit additional police    Recruitment into the Ghana Police Service has
              officers/target meeting      increased its overall strength from 32,679 at the end of
              the UN ratio of 1:500        2016 to 37,571, raising our Police-To-Citizen ratio to
              police to civilians          1:808
       253.   Provide each District with   Seventeen (17) Stations have been completed.
              a Fire Station where none    Provision of additional 5 Fire Stations ongoing
              exists
    1.14. Security
 NO.                     PROMISES                  WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
    254.                 Upgrade equipment of      1.	 When we came into office, the Police had only 492
                         armed service personnel       serviceable vehicles. Government has provided
                         (Police, Army, Prisons,       over GHc1 billion worth of equipment and logistics
                         Fire Service, and             to the Police, including 4,500 fragmentation
                         Immigration Services)         jackets, modern communication equipment, 740
                                                       vehicles, and three helicopters among others
                                                   2.	 The Immigration Service has had one (1) armoury
                                                       constructed and fourteen (14) facilities fortified to
                                                       serve as armouries. In addition, we have procured
                                                       the following for them: 320 pieces of AK47 assault
                                                       rifles, 120 pieces of Beret pistols, 10,000 pieces
                                                       of AK47 ammunition, 10,000 pieces of Beret pistol
                                                       ammunition, 190 vehicles, 153 motorbikes and 50
                                                       All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
                                                   3.	 We have procured and commissioned 138
                                                       operational vehicles for the Ghana Armed Forces
                                                       (GAF)
                                                   4.	 We have procured and commissioned 50 buses for
                                                       the Ghana Armed Forces
                                                   5.	 Eleven (11) Command Vehicles have been
                                                       procured for the Fire Service. In addition, five (5)
                                                       extrication equipment were procured, the Fire
                                                       Master Control was refurbished with modern
                                                       communication equipment, and a Smoke Chamber
                                                       was constructed to aid in training fire officers. Two
                                                       (2) Hydraulic Platforms will be delivered in August,
                                                       2020
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       1.14. Security
      NO.     PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
       257.   Rehabilitate and             1.	 Construction of 320 housing units for the Ghana
              Upgrade the living               Police Service is on-going
              conditions/quarters of       2.	 For the Ghana Armed Forces, a 250-unit housing
              the security services            is being constructed as part of the Forward
              under the “National              Operating Base in Enzinibu, Western Region. In
              Barracks Regeneration            addition, a US$100M Military Housing Project
              Programme”                       across all Garrisons have commenced while we
                                               complete all housing projects under the VTB Loan
                                               and the abandoned SSNIT Project. The first of four
                                               (4) sixteen-unit (16) storey blocks, in total sixty-
                                               four (64) units under the Barracks Regeneration
                                               Programme, has been completed. Various other
                                               upgrade projects have been undertaken at military
                                               facilities across the country
                                           3.	 Similar projects are ongoing for the Fire and Prison
                                               Services
       258.   Maintaining Peace and        Ghana has been adjudged the most peaceful country
              Stability                    by the Global Peace Index in West Africa and the third
                                           most peaceful country in Africa. In 2016 Ghana was
                                           the 6th most peaceful country in Africa
       259.   Improve the training         Provision of modern equipment and refresher training
              capabilities of armed        for the security services is ongoing. For example,
              services personnel           15,000 Community Police Officers have been trained
              (Police, Army, Prisons,      as part of the police visibility and community policing
              Fire Service, and            strategy
              Immigration Services)
       261.   Protect military lands       There has been no new encroachment since we have
              from encroachment            been in office and some of the existing encroachments
                                           have been reversed
    1.14. Security
 NO.                     PROMISES                     WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
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                                                          115
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
       264.   Move Diaspora Affairs       Done. A Director of Diaspora Affairs has been
              Bureau to the Office of     appointed. The Bureau worked with the Ghana
              the President               Tourism Authority (GTA) in organising the highly
                                          successful “Year of Return” Programme. It has also
                                          been involved in Investment and Trade Missions
                                          focusing on Ghanaians in the Diaspora
       265.   Task our diplomatic         Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accelerated the creation
              missions to focus on        of an Economic, Trade and Investment Bureau in line
              economic diplomacy          with this objective. It has been aggressively involved in
                                          recent investment drives, including on the Sinohydro
                                          project
       268.   Work with the African       Done and its Secretariat has since been established in
              Union (AU) to create the    Accra
              African Continental Free
              Trade Area
       269.   Review existing foreign     Ghana has been in high-level talks with the UK
              policy in light of Brexit   Government, culminating in the setting up of a Ghana-
              and new world order         UK Business Council to facilitate post-Brexit relations
       270.   Enhance our role in the     Through our efforts, the President has been appointed
              activities of ECOWAS        the Champion of AU Financial Institutions as well as
              and AU/Take leadership      AU Gender Champion
              role in getting all
              groups within ECOWAS
              to harmonise their
              objectives
       271.   Facilitate links between   Ghana Missions abroad have been linked with
              Ambassadors with           MMDCEs to enable direct communication and to
              MMDCEs to maximise         connect investors to local authorities directly where
              investment and trade       relevant
              opportunities for local
              authorities
       273.   Work for the rapid         Ghana is leading efforts for a comprehensive review of
              establishment of an        the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation scheme to facilitate
              ECOWAS regional market     regional trade
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      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
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                                                          125
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
       280.   Transform the Ghana Tourist       The GTA has digitised its processes, enabling
              Authority (GTA) into a modern     seamless engagement with its stakeholders.
              and more efficient institution    Also, we have brought into force the Sites and
              (Including invest in Tourism      Attractions LI, (Tourist Sites) Regulations, 2019,
              IT as an enabler to improve       L.I. 2393, which has transformed the regulatory
              knowledge and sharing of          function of the Authority
              information about tourism
              opportunities in the country)
       281.   Engage with the Diaspora as       This is being achieved through the following:
              a source of Socio-Economic
                                                •	 for the commemoration of the 400-Year
              and Cultural Development
                                                   Anniversary of the arrival of the first West
                                                   African slaves in Virginia, USA, Ghana
                                                   proclaimed 2019 as the Year of Return (YOR),
                                                   inviting all Africans in the diaspora home to
                                                   Ghana. Highlights of the successful YOR
                                                   include:
                                                   •	 growth in international arrivals of 18%,
                                                      thirteen points above the global growth
                                                      rate of 5%, and
                                                   •	 the increase arrivals were accompanied by
                                                      an increase in spending and length of stays
                                                •	 launching of “Beyond the Return” Project as a
                                                   successor to the “Year of Return” Programme
                                                •	 establishment of the Diaspora Fund to
                                                   attract investments from the Diaspora into
                                                   infrastructure development
                                                •	 institution of the Diaspora Financial
                                                   Professionals Engagement Initiative
                                                •	 the relocation of the Diaspora Bureau to the
                                                   Office of the President
                                                •	 the establishment of a Diaspora Desk at GIPC,
                                                   and
                                                •	 the initiation of a process for a Homeland
                                                   Return Act
       282.   Establish a Creative Arts         The Creative Arts Council has been established
              Council that will harmonise the
              various interest groups
    283.                 Protect the copyright of          National Folklore Board has been set up and
                         the Adinkra symbols in            registration of all Kente and Adinkra Designs is in
                         accordance with the Copyright     progress. It is also conducting an inventory of all
                         Act, 2005 (Act 690) and build     our cultural assets
                         a detailed inventory of all our
                         cultural assets
    284.                 Partner the private sector        Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Institute
                         to set up a state-of-the-art      (HOTCATT) reopened. Tourism Training Policy
                         hospitality teaching facility,    Finalised
                         with an operational hotel,
                         classrooms, kitchens, library,
                         and dormitories
    285.                 Establish a revenue-sharing       This is being implemented. With the coming into
                         programme to inject 5% of         force of the Sites and Attractions (Tourist Sites)
                         tourism revenues into the local   Regulations, 2019, L.I. 2393, we have signed
                         communities to encourage          MOUs with 11 communities to formalise the
                         them to take ownership            implementation
                         of, and be invested in their
                         sustainability
    289.                 Resolve the long-standing         Done with the support of the Eminent Chiefs
                         Dagbon Chieftaincy dispute
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                                 NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
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1.18. Conclusion
                                                          133
      PART 1: ACCOUNTING FOR OUR STEWARDSHIP
      1.18.	Conclusion
      In 2016, our party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and our Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo
      Dankwa Akufo-Addo, sought your mandate on a platform of creating a prosperous society with
      economic opportunity for all Ghanaians.
      We were clear in what we wanted to use the mandate for: to re-build the Ghana We Want,
      strong, prosperous, and united with expanded opportunities for all, no matter where you live
      in the country. The evidence shows that we have kept faith with the people of Ghana, and
      delivered or are delivering on most of our promises. The job is by no means done, however. We
      still have more to do in our service for the good people of Ghana.
      We know the continuing faith it will require on your part, and the responsibilities it places on
      us, but we do not ask for the renewal of our mandate in a vacuum. We ask on the basis of two
      convictions:
        •	 we ask you to give us four more years because our Government, borne out of the NPP,
           under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has kept faith with
           you, Ghanaians, by delivering on the commitments we made to you.
        	   As at the end of 2019, we can report that we are on track, having significantly delivered
            on our mandate. Many have asked: how could an economy that could not pay teacher
            and nursing training allowances suddenly deliver lower taxes, restore teacher and nursing
            training allowances, create jobs, implement Free Senior High School education , NABCO,
            Planting For Food and Jobs, One Village One Dam, One Constituency One Ambulance,
            reduce electricity tariffs, formalise the economy, industrialise the economy through “One
            District, One Factory”, and reduce the cost of doing business, while at the same time
            reducing the budget deficit and the rate of borrowing?
        	   The question had been asked because it seemed an impossible task by the end of 2016,
            but we were very confident that, with good economic management and by the grace of
            God, we could make what seemed impossible possible. And we did;
        •	 secondly, it is our conviction, based on recent history, that by renewing our mandate
           and giving us four more years, you will be ensuring that all the hard work over the last
           four years does not go to waste.
        	   This is a real, significant risk. We have been here before. In 2009, after we handed a
            strong economy over to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana ended up with
            the biggest ever mess in the history of our country. By the time you elected us again to
            replace the NDC at the end of 2016, we had been preceded by eight years of economic
            mismanagement, incompetence and widespread corruption. The fiscal meltdown was so
            bad that the NDC signing up to an IMF ECF-supported programme for policy credibility
            did little to change the direction of the economy and country.
        	   Not renewing our mandate is in essence inviting the NDC back into office to create another
            mess all over again. It will mean a roll back in macroeconomic stability, the return of the
            numerous and excessive taxes of the NDC years, another four to five years of Dumsor, a
            roll back of successful programmes and initiatives such as Free SHS, Planting for Food
            and Jobs, and One District One Factory.
           	             We have, in a few short years, restored Ghana on a path towards irreversibility. We should
                         not go back again to the dark, hard days of the NDC!
As we go into the 2020 General Elections, we will humbly like to remind you that President
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP Government, and the entire party, have performed
considerably better than their NDC predecessors.
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PART 2
COVID-19
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
      The pandemic resulted in a dramatic slowdown in the global economy, disrupting global supply
      chains and has led to massive job losses. The World Bank forecast growth in Sub Saharan
      Africa (SSA) will fall sharply from 2.4% in 2019 to negative in the range of -2.1% to -5.1% in
      2020. The slowdown is expected to weaken the two fastest growing regions: ECOWAS and the
      East Africa Community. While the true scale of the crisis and the economic catastrophe are still
      unfolding in many parts of the world, a slowdown in economic activity in Ghana has hit many
      households, businesses, employment and public finances hard.
                         •	    increased job losses and rising unemployment, depressed household incomes and
                               reduced remittances
           •	            a general slowdown in trade and commercial activities:
                         •	    slowdown in industrial production, decline in demand and supply, disruptions to
                               supply chains, increase in airfreight costs and slowdown in exports and imports have
                               resulted in a decline in trade and commerce
           •	            revenue performance was lower against the programmed target (fell by 26%), and
           •	            expenditures, significantly influenced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, were
                         higher compared to target (exceeded target by 11.5%)
These developments resulted in:
           •	            an overall fiscal deficit of 6.3% of GDP compared to a programmed deficit target of 3.1
                         percent of GDP. The fiscal deficit for the period more than doubled the programmed
                         target because Government increased its financing programme to address the shortfall in
                         revenue mobilisation and, to deal, in part, with the force majeure imposed by COVID-19-
                         induced expenditures
           •	            the corresponding primary balance for the period was also a deficit of 3.3 percent of GDP,
                         compared with a programmed deficit target of 0.9 percent of GDP.
The forecast of overall impact on the economy this, and subsequent years is dire. The estimates
indicate that:
           •	            revenues are expected to fall short of the 2020 Budget target by GH¢13,405 million (3.5%
                         of revised GDP), and
           •	            expenditures, on the other hand, are expected to increase by GH¢11,788 million (3.1%
                         of revised GDP), reflecting mainly expenditures on COVID-19 Preparedness & Response
                         Plan, provision of Health Infrastructure (Agenda 111, previously Agenda 88), Coronavirus
                         Alleviation Programme, Capitalisation of National Development Bank, Security, Elections,
                         and payment of outstanding claims
In addition, overall real GDP growth for 2020, originally projected at 6.8 percent, has now been
revised downwards to 0.9 percent. This is in sharp contrast to the robust growth path charted
over the past three years when real GDP growth averaged 7.0 percent between 2017 and 2019
This has occasioned a revision of our fiscal targets for the year. As a result, it is projected that
the adjusted performance at the end of 2020 will be:
           •	            a fiscal deficit (on cash basis) of GH¢44.1 billion (11.4% of GDP) for 2020, up from the
                         original 2020 Budget target of GH¢18.9 billion (4.7 percent of GDP), and
           •	            a corresponding primary balance from a surplus of GH¢2.8 billion (0.7% of GDP) in the
                         original 2020 Budget to a deficit of GH¢17.8 billion (4.61% of GDP)
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      PART 2: COVID-19
      Ensuring that we stabilise the economy, revitalise and return to the path of pre-CoVID 19 growth
      is a priority of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the next four years.
      Health Sector
      The pandemic has placed a significant strain on the manpower, infrastructure, and finances of
      the health sector:
      Agriculture
      Some of the pandemic’s impact on the agricultural sector are:
        •	   staple food prices have gone up as prices of agricultural inputs have increased due to
             limited supply
        •	   rising international market prices and freight costs (which have risen by more than 100%)
             have resulted in increased prices of imported staples (rice, wheat, soya, poultry, tomatoes
             and cooking oil)
           •	            prices of exports (cocoa, cashew, oil palm, shea, vegetables and fruits) have fallen. For
                         example, the price of cashew has dropped by 60%, and
           •	            migrant labour in the sector has declined.
This has affected the income of farmers, farmworkers, and many others along the value chain.
           •	            disruptions in global supply chains have highlighted that countries, which are not self-
                         sufficient in staple foods (grains and other staples) to meet basic dietary and nutritional
                         needs, are more vulnerable to shocks like the Coronavirus pandemic
           •	            in a post-COVID-19 world, there will be heightened threats and risks to unprocessed
                         agricultural exports to key markets like Europe, United States and Asia. Access to
                         markets may tighten, and products might face rejection on the basis of phytosanitary
                         violations, and
           •	            in view of the above, improved value-addition in food processing is essential, both as a
                         response to import substitution capacity and to access export markets for processed
                         foods.
Hospitality
A sharp decline (over 90%) in hotel occupancy rates, grounding of airline services, cancellation
of international events, and closure of restaurants have significantly disrupted the hospitality
industry, and caused precipitous revenue losses, as border closures and general shutdown of
tourism and demand for international travel take their toll.
Education
The closure of schools, from KG, through Primary, Junior High and Senior High Schools to
tertiary institutions, have disrupted academic calendars and timetables, preparation for final
examinations, and have imposed adverse financial strain on public and private institutions.
However, to get the lives of our young students back on track, we, successfully, partially,
reopened schools to allow final year students from the Universities, Senior High Schools and
Junior High Schools to take their exams. To this end, we committed significant resources in
providing protective equipment for students, teachers, and support staff, and implemented
strict Covid 19 protocols for the operation of all the schools.
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      PART 2: COVID-19
      Throughout the crisis, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his Government,
      have provided competent, consistent, honest and forward-looking leadership in the fight
      against the pandemic to world acclaim.
      His famous words, “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know
      is how to bring people back to life. We will, therefore, protect people’s lives, then their
      livelihoods” resonated around the world, quoted by world leaders, influencers, and media as
      an encapsulating and calming response to the global pandemonium caused by the pandemic.
      Under his leadership, Ghana continues to receive local and international plaudits in how it
      continues to handle the response to the pandemic. Decisions have been made guided by data,
      science, and in the public interest, and Government has acted to reinforce trust by mobilising
      resources, domestically and foreign, human and material, from the private sector as well as
      public sectors, in dealing with the crisis. Ghana was ahead in implementing many key measures
      which were later replicated by other countries, including contact tracing, “pool” testing, and
      early restrictions of travel and closure of borders.
      As a result of this good leadership and trust, Ghana has succeeded in limiting the spread,
      severity, and casualties from the pandemic.
      Measures
      To mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic, Government implemented a Coronavirus
      Alleviation Package consisting of, as at end July 2020:
             • 	 584,000 final year Junior High School students and 146,000 staff, of public and private
                 schools, to be provided hot meals from August 24 to September 18 as they write their
                 final exams
        •	   transfer of over GH¢50 million to 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the LEAP
             programme
        •	   provision of 50% of basic salary as allowances for frontline health workers for 6 months
             (from April to September inclusive)
        •	   waiver of Income Tax for all healthcare workers for 6 months (from April to September
             inclusive)
        •	   waiver of Income Tax on the 50% additional allowances paid to frontline health workers
        •	   free water consumption for all Ghanaians for nine months (April to December inclusive)
        •	   free electricity for Life-Line consumers for 6 months (from April to September inclusive)
        •	   50% discount on electricity for other classes of consumers for 3 months (from April to
             June inclusive)
        •	   a GH¢750 million soft loan programme, dubbed the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme-
             Business Support Scheme (CAP-BuSS) to support MSMEs (GH¢700 million) and, Creative
             Arts, the Media, and the Conference of Independent Universities (GH¢50 million)
        •	   a GH¢2 billion Guarantee Facility to support all large enterprises and for job retention. This
             will enable these businesses borrow from banks at affordable rates and over long tenors
             to adjust to the pandemic and to retain jobs
        •	   a GH¢100 million Fund for Labour and Faith-Based Organisations for retraining and
             skills development (Retraining Programme) and an Unemployment Insurance Scheme to
             provide temporary income support to workers who are laid off due to the pandemic
        •	   reduction of Communication Services Tax (CST) from 9% to 5%
        •	   payment of WASSCE examination fees amounting to GH¢75.4 million for 314,000 SHS 3
             students
        •	   a suite of policy measures by the Bank of Ghana to provide support, through the banking
             system, to businesses impacted by the pandemic, including:
             •	   reduction of the monetary policy rate by 150 basis points to 14.5%
             •	   a reduction in the Primary Reserve Requirement from 10% to 8% to provide additional
                  liquidity to banks to loan to support critical sectors of the economy
             •	   a reduction in the Capital Adequacy ratio from 13% to 11.5%
             •	   provision of a syndicated loan of GH¢3 billion to support industry, especially in the
                  pharmaceutical, hospitality, service and manufacturing sectors
             •	   granting of a six-month moratorium of principal repayments for selected businesses,
                  and
             •	   reduction of interest rates based on the Ghana Reference Rate (GRR) by 200 basis
                  points
           •	            extension of due dates for filling of taxes from 4 to 6 months after the end of the financial
                         year
           •	            remission of penalties on principal debts to taxpayers who redeemed their outstanding
                         debts due Ghana Revenue Authority up to 30th June, 2020
           •	 permit the deduction of contributions and donations towards the pandemic as allowable
              expenses for income tax purposes
           •	 waiver of VAT, NHIL, and GETFund Levy on donations of stock of equipment and goods
              for fighting the pandemic, and
           •	 waiver of income taxes on Third-Tier pension withdrawals
2.5.	Conclusion
The CoVID-19 pandemic has created major disruptions in the lives and livelihoods of citizens,
in business, industry, trade and commerce, and to macro-fiscal stability. Throughout the
ongoing crisis, the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has provided effective
leadership, and acted as the custodian and guardian of our public health. We have learnt major
lessons in the process and will incorporate these lessons in our planning for future growth and
development.
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PART 3: POST-COVID-19 RECOVERY
PART 3
POST-COVID-19 RECOVERY
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
      The Ghana COVID-19 Alleviation and Revitalisation of Enterprises (Ghana CARES) Programme
      is Ghana Beyond Aid in action: it is through the Ghana CARES programme that we plan
      to Stabilise, Revitalise and Transform Ghana. The implementation of the Ghana CARES
      programme will restore growth to Pre Covid-19 levels and return the fiscal path to be within the
      Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982) threshold of 5% deficit and positive primary balance
      by 2023.
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PART 4
BEYOND 2020
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
      Our plan over the next four years is to build on what we have achieved together. Incorporating
      the lessons learnt from the pandemic, we will consolidate the progress we have made on all our
      flagship policies, programmes, and initiatives across the various sectors, including:
        •	    continuing to improve on the over two million public and private sector formal jobs we
              have created and support the informal sector to formalise and create more better-paying
              jobs
        •	    restoring and maintaining macroeconomic stability
        •	    rebuilding the agricultural sector through the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs
              (PFJ)
        •	    stimulating industrial growth through 1D1F
        •	    filling our physical infrastructure gap with roads and bridges
        •	    transforming the delivery of government services through digitisation
        •	    curbing bribery and corruption through greater transparency in a digitised environment
        •	    stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation
        •	    investing in building human capital through education
        •	    strengthening the NHIS and reducing unequal access to health
        •	    expanding the reach of social intervention and safety nets, and
        •	    building a safer, stronger and more prosperous Ghana
      In tandem with this, we intend to create much greater scope for the participation of the private
      sector in delivery of these public services, proof of effectiveness which we have demonstrated
      in many of our digitisation initiatives.
The Economy
Our number one priority is to stimulate growth, development, and investment in the real sectors
of the economy, particularly in agriculture, industrialisation, and digitisation by ensuring macro-
fiscal stability, and engendering the economic transformation of our country.
Consistent with our vision of building a Ghana Beyond Aid, we will leverage the growing
formalisation of the economy to deepen and widen our ability to mobilise domestic revenues
by continuing to broaden the tax base, simplifying the filing of taxes, and improving collection
regimes.
Industrialisation
We will:
           •	            support Made-in-Ghana products, including supporting the use of local raw materials
           •	            continue to ensure stable and affordable power for industrial development
           •	            promote the manufacturing of digital devices locally
           •	            continue to work with the private sector to establish more Special Economic Zones for
                         manufacturing and support them with “last-mile” infrastructure services
           •	            finalise the establishment of the bauxite refinery to complete the aluminium value chain
           •	            complete the establishment of an iron and steel industry through the Ghana Integrated
                         Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC)
           •	            continue the process of providing gas infrastructure to bauxite refinery sites
           •	            deepen and expand 1D1F in diversity and national coverage
           •	            process more cocoa and shea-butter locally
           •	            deepen the Automotive Assembly industry
           •	            produce at least half of Ghana’s sugar needs locally within the next four years
           •	            promote the local production of pharmaceuticals
           •	            complete the process of establishing a fertiliser producing plant in Ghana, and
           •	            for light manufacturing, renew the emphasis on component assembly, not just for
                         automobiles, but for home appliances, including electric fans, refrigerators, and air-
                         conditioners to meet our growing domestic demand.
Agriculture
We will accelerate:
           •	            our efforts in modernising agriculture along the entire value chain, including expanding
                         our Agricultural Mechanisation Centres
           •	            support for farmers through:
                         •	   increased supply of inputs
                         •	   enhanced involvement of farm extension officers to work with farmers and breeders
                         •	   increased disease control
                         •	   improved warehousing and post-harvest logistics, and
                         •	   tighter linkages with industry mainly through 1D1F
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      PART 4: BEYOND 2020
      Education: 	
      Over the next four years, we will:
        •	   consolidate the implementation of the Free SHS and Free TVET programmes
        •	   continue to increase the manpower resources and teaching facilities, including the use
             of ICT teaching aids, of public tertiary institutions to support the expected increases in
             student population from the Free SHS graduates
        •	   make sure no student who has obtained admission to a tertiary institution is denied access
             because they are unable to pay fees. We will provide all such students, with the exception
             of teacher and nurse trainees who are paid allowances, an option to obtain a student loan:
             •	   without the requirement of a guarantor for the loan, provided he or she has a National
                  Identification Number from the GhanaCard, and
             •	   defer repayment of the loan after National Service plus an additional one-year grace
                  period
        •	   implement the US$219 million Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project
             (GALOP) to improve the quality of education in 10,000 low performing basic education
             schools across all 260 districts and strengthen education sector equity and accountability
             in Ghana
             •	   learning grants will be disbursed to the targeted schools as a top-up to the capitation
                  grant
                         •	   the programme will provide support and resources for teachers, support for school
                              management, accountability systems, and monitoring and evaluation
                         •	   about 2.3 million pupils and 76,000 teachers from the targeted schools will benefit
                              directly from the project
           •	            put in place a comprehensive National Teacher Policy and implement a National Digital
                         Literacy Project for teachers
                         •	   the benchmarks will include teachers’ standards and professionalism, teacher
                              education and continuous professional development (including digital literacy), working
                              conditions, recruitment and retention, career structure and pathways for progression,
                              recognition and reward system, accountability, school governance, social inclusion
                              and social dialogue
           •	            train and employ more teachers for Early Childhood Education, Primary, French, STEM,
                         TVET, Special Needs and other areas as needed
           •	            reduce the number of out-of-school children in Ghana by providing a uniform identification
                         and tracking of every student
           •	            establish a national Knowledge and Assessment Bank, a comprehensive digital library
                         to allow all Ghanaian students/learners access to learning materials and also provide a
                         repository of assessment tools for assessing learning by teachers and instructors
           •	            deepen the implementation and use of the iCampus portal which provides free access to
                         educational content for the core subject areas to all SHS students
           •	            continue to provide a 24-Hour dedicated television channel for the delivery of lessons on
                         the GBC Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) platform and the National DTT platform as a Free-to-
                         Air Broadcast
           •	            implement a robust state of the art Learning Management System (LMS) to enable
                         teachers create supplementary content and deliver online instruction and assessment
           •	            provide Made-in-Ghana digital devices pre-installed with digital content for SHS students
                         and teachers
           •	            complete the provision of free Wifi at all senior secondary schools and public tertiary
                         institutions and training colleges
           •	            complete the implementation of the 5-year Strategic Plan on TVET and establish a national
                         Skills Development Fund
           •	            through the Zongo Development Fund, in collaboration with GETFUND, build 16 model
                         Senior High Schools in Zongo communities across the 16 regions of the country
           •	            increase resources and infrastructure for special needs education across the country
           •	            expand infrastructure to increase access to professional legal education
           •	            continue with our infrastructure development programme across all levels of the education
                         sector, and
           •	            implement the existing Inclusive Education Policy, by establishing, revamping or
                         equipping regional special education assessment centres to facilitate early and accessible
                         assessment for children who may have special education needs.
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      PART 4: BEYOND 2020
      Health:
      We will:
        •	   focus on health promotion and prevention as part of primary health care through the
             National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
             •	   currently, the NHIS covers about 95% of our disease burden, including primary,
                  secondary, and some tertiary care. In addition, children, the elderly, and other
                  vulnerable groups do not pay premiums as well
             •	   the missing link has been that the NHIS does not cover health promotion and
                  prevention, a critical aspect of reducing the disease burden and making the NHIS
                  financially sustainable
             •	   we have established Wellness Centres in the Dodowa, Legon, and Tema Hospitals as
                  a first step
             •	   over the next four years, we will bring health promotion and prevention as part of
                  primary health care under the NHIS which will continue to be free for children, the
                  elderly, and other vulnerable groups
        •	   review and overhaul healthcare financing with the aim of
             •	   reducing the turnaround time of claims management to the barest minimum, and
             •	   ensuring the sustainability of the NHIS scheme
        •	   deliver on the largest healthcare infrastructure investment by any government in the last
             fifty years by undertaking Agenda 111 (previously Agenda 88) project which includes:
             •	   construction of 101 standard design 100-bed hospitals with accommodation for
                  doctors and nurses in the Districts without hospitals
             •	   construction of 6 new regional hospitals in the six new regions
             • 	 construction of a Ghana Centre for Disease Control
             •	   1 new regional hospital for the Western Region
             •	   rehabilitation of the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in the Western region, into a virtually new
                  facility and
             •	   construction of 2 new psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation of existing ones
        •	   construct infectious disease centres for each of the three ecological zones: coastal,
             northern and middle belt zones in the country
        •	   complete ongoing hospital projects and related infrastructure
        •	   complete the ongoing digitisation of medical records through the Patients Records
             Management Systems (E-Health Solution) and use Health Information Management
             Systems and Health Analytics to improve quality of patient care
        •	   harmonise the functions of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), National Health
             Insurance Authority (NHIA), Pharmacy Council (PC), and Health Professionals Regulatory
             Bodies (HPRB) with respect to facilities licensing, accreditation and credentialing under a
             common legislative, regulatory and institutional framework
           •	            expand access to medical schools in Ghana by building additional facilities and augmenting
                         its human resource base, and
           • 	 work with the Ghana Medical and Dental Council to streamline the admission processes
               for foreign-trained doctors
           •	            support the development of traditional medicine
           •	            while supporting the private sector to ramp up production locally, we will eliminate import
                         duty on sanitary pads to improve health outcomes, particularly for girls
           •	            continue to recruit trained health personnel and distribute them equitably across the
                         nation, and
           •	            focus on Telemedicine to enhance health delivery.
           •	            Renting:
           	             To address the short-to-medium term market failures in the renter-segment of the housing
                         market, the next NPP Government will establish a National Rental Assistance Scheme
                         (NRAS). In partnership with the private sector, the Scheme will provide low-interest loans
                         to eligible Ghanaians to enable them pay rent advance. These loans will be repaid on a
                         monthly basis to match the tenor of the rent, and will be insured to ensure sustainability.
                         Government will seed the Scheme with GH¢100 million which will be leveraged to crowd-
                         in additional investment from the private sector.
           	             The Scheme will target individuals (both in the formal and informal sectors) with identifiable
                         and regular income. The rent advance loans will be paid directly into the bank accounts
                         of landlords, who would have to register with the Scheme.
           	             As part of our interventions, we will implement the necessary regulatory, institutional, and
                         operational reforms of the Rent Control Department, including the digitisation of their
                         operations, to enhance delivery, and make it better able to serve the changing needs of
                         market players, including landlords and tenants. A new Rent Control Act has been drafted
                         for review by Cabinet in this direction.
           •	            Low Income Housing:
           	             Our housing deficit is particularly acute for low income households. We will address this
                         segment of the market by building low-income housing estates over the next four years,
                         using local materials by working with the Building and Roads Research Institute and
                         private developers. Land banks have been secured for this purpose, and the houses will
                         be available for rent, rent-to-own, or outright purchase.
           •	            Middle-Income Housing
           	             Under an accelerated “National Housing Programme”, the number of housing units,
                         currently being delivered annually nationwide by both the private and public sectors, will
                         be increased threefold.
           	             The NPP Government will set-up two anchor institutions: a Ghana Housing Authority
                         (GHA), and a National Housing and Mortgage Finance Company (NHMF), working
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      PART 4: BEYOND 2020
             together but with different roles to drive the housing delivery process. The Ghana Housing
             Authority (GHA) will improve the legal and regulatory framework, create land banks, provide
             infrastructure, and standardise houses. The NHMF will establish financial arrangements
             for the demand and supply side housing markets by managing the Mortgage and Housing
             Fund set up in the 2019 Budget, provide incentives to enable the private sector build
             communities’/housing units, and create jobs in the process across all MMDAs in the
             country.
      Houses will be available to Government employees or other formal sector workers as well as
      the informal sector.
        •	   We will also:
             •	   expand the capacity of State Housing Company Limited (SHC) to lead government’s
                  efforts, along with the private sector, to build a large pool of affordable homes for
                  Ghanaian workers and families
             •	   create Land Banks and provide Infrastructure in partnership with Land owners and
                  District Assemblies. The serviced plots will be managed by Ghana Housing Authority
                  to reduce the problems faced by individuals and real estate developers during the
                  land acquisition process
             •	   promote and sponsor Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) as a vehicle to encourage
                  rent-to-own schemes, private sector mortgage finance companies and mortgage
                  backed securities
             •	   review the Home Mortgage Finance Act, 2008 (Act 770) to ensure that foreclosure
                  processes are simplified
             •	   implement more rigorously the tax-deductible mortgage interest regime
             •	   amend the law to allow for Pension Funds to invest more than 5% of their portfolio in
                  real estate assets, including pension backed mortgages
             •	   provide targeted, project-based tax incentives (instead of blanket incentives) for
                  private developers to build more social housing, as well as inner city redevelopment
                  and revitalisation schemes, and
             •	   promote setting up of an integrated local manufacturing industry to support the
                  housing sector through tax incentives, creation of markets as well as tax rebates on
                  some imported materials among others.
      Physical Infrastructure
      The provision of roads, highways, railways, water and sanitation infrastructure will continue
      to be a major focus of the next Akufo-Addo government. Our decision to set up a separate
      Railway Development Ministry, the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP)
      and the Development Authorities, as well as the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development,
      and the Zongo Development Fund, has led to significant progress in adding to our railway
      infrastructure, in the provision of basic infrastructure at the local level and for special
      disadvantaged communities like the Zongos and Inner Cities, as well as the construction of
      new roads under the “Year of Roads” Programme.
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             •	   completion of the construction of the Western Line, and Tema to Mpakadan rail lines
             •	   commence construction of:
                  •	 the Eastern Rail Line
                  •	 the Aduadin to Obuasi Lines
                  •	 the Ghana – Burkina Line
                  •	 a new line between Sekondi and Shama Free Zone area
                  •	 a new harbour in Cape Coast, and
                  •	 a new airport in Cape Coast
             •	   prioritise feasibility studies in establishing a rail link through Kasoa to Accra with the
                  view to establish a railway line service to reduce significantly travel time to and from
                  that fast-growing part of Greater Accra and Central Regions.
        •	   Continue investing in the expansion of infrastructure at all public tertiary institutions to
             enhance capacity and facilities to absorb the expected increases in student population
             as graduating students from Free SHS pursue further education
        •	   Bridging the Development Gap between the North and the South
        	    We will continue to implement existing policies and ongoing projects to bridge the
             development gap between the northern and southern regions of Ghana e.g. IPEP, 1V1D,
             1D1F, Pwalugu Dam, Critical Roads, Ghana—Burkina Rail Link among others, as well as
             revamp the cotton industry, establish rice mills in rice producing districts, revamp dams
             such as Vea, and Bontanga (Tono has been rehabilitated), develop the Buipe in-land port,
             district hospitals and regional hospitals in districts and region without, construction of
             the Daboya and Dikpe bridges, upgrade the Tamale Airport, pursue the Iron and Steel
             Industry project, and continue the exploration for oil in the Voltain basin amongst others
        •	   Use of Local Content in Infrastructure Development
        	    Government makes significant investments in public infrastructure development, including
             roads, schools, hospitals, clinics, office buildings among others. Most of our roads are
             constructed with asphalt overlay or with bitumen surface dressing (BSD), and most public
             buildings are constructed with cement and concrete materials. 90% of the raw materials
             for producing these two primary products are however imported, costing the country
             more than $1billion annually.
        	    On the other hand, we have demonstrated the availability and durability of local building
             materials, including burnt bricks and Pozzolana cement. Several brick factories can be
             found in the Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono and Central regions. We have also two Pozzolana
             cement factories in Ghana.
        	    Over the next four years, we will actively mainstream the use of these, and other local
             materials in public sector infrastructure projects.
           •	            enforcing competitive procurement of power, the least cost fuel procurement, and
                         minimising excess capacity charges through the ongoing renegotiation exercise to
                         improve upon the financial health of the sector
           •	            reducing losses, particularly in power distribution, by ensuring ECG and NEDCo implement
                         incentive-based loss reduction targets for all District Managers
           •	            significantly improving revenue collection with the implementation of remote sensing
                         technology which is currently being piloted by ECG
           •	            completing ongoing rural electrification projects to ensure transformation of our rural
                         economies
           •	            continuing the Auction-Based Licensing strategy for exploratory Oil Blocks to ensure
                         value for money, and
           •	            enforcing Local Content policies for the Upstream and Downstream sub-sectors.
To enhance further the peace and security of the country over the next four years, we will
continue with these investments and continue to invest in new technologies to improve the
crime-fighting capabilities of the security forces, including the continued deployment of
cameras to assist in fighting crime under the ongoing Alpha project.
We will also continue with the National Barracks Regeneration Programme to improve the
accommodation of the military.
Social Protection
The NPP Government, past and present, is the only party with a proven track record in designing
and implementing social protection programmes that have provided much needed support to
the vulnerable and disadvantaged in Ghana. From health insurance through school feeding to
free SHS, we have continuously demonstrated our credentials in building a fair and equitable
society.
In the next four years, we will institutionalise and combine the GNSF and major Flagship Social
Protection Programme databases and link them to the National Identification Card to create a
“Single Registry” system. This will help manage both the selection, identification, and provision
of social protection services and benefits to the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
We will also, in line with our social development philosophy, ensure the enactment and
operationalisation of the Ageing Bill, as well as the Affirmative Action Bill.
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      In addition to the several interventions we have made to improve the lives of Persons Living
      With Disability (PLWDs), including the increase in the share of Common Fund from 2% to
      3%, the allocation of GH¢4 million to the Presidential Empowerment for Women Entrepreneurs
      With Disability (PEWED) and Presidential Empowerment for Male Entrepreneurs With Disability
      (PEMED) to expand their businesses, and the Inclusive Education Policy which we are
      implementing, we will expand the scope, membership, and mandate of the Inter-Ministerial
      Coordinating Committee tasked with mainstreaming disability issues in local government, to
      encompass the implementation, broadly, the provisions in the Persons With Disability Act, 2006
      (Act 715), in particular in addressing access to facilities, transportation and equal employment
      opportunities.
      Foreign Affairs
      During our first term, we have been consistent in our efforts to deepen Ghana’s diplomatic
      footprint and strengthen relations with other countries in pursuit of our national interests. The
      next few years will be challenging in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. It threatens to
      shift economic and diplomatic alliances as well as geopolitics. In view of this, we will be more
      strategic in our international engagements by focusing on economic, commercial and business
      benefits accruing to Ghana.
We will:
        •	   continue to promote and support ECOWAS and the AU domestically and internationally
             to accelerate the pace of regional and continental integration and engage as a united front
             in global relations
        •	   as the host country of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),
             be very active in seeing to the operationalisation and success of AfCFTA
        •	   expand the level of engagement with, and promote the interests of the Ghanaian and
             African Diaspora
        •	   continue to facilitate the election and appointment of Ghanaians to positions in various
             international organisations. To this end, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has created a
             Candidatures Unit to pursue aggressively vacancies that may occur in various international
             organisations and recommend, as well as support suitable Ghanaians to apply
        •	   strengthen our engagement, among others, at the multilateral level including Sessions of
             the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations and other international Conferences,
             Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, and La Francophonie (OIF)
        •	   exchange of High-Level Visits consistent with efforts to deepen substantially Ghana’s
             international diplomatic footprints and strengthen bilateral relations in pursuit of our
             political, cultural, and economic interests, and
        •	   strengthen relations with countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, and Asia
      In addition, we will:
           •	            we will construct one of the biggest convention and exhibition centres in the world at the
                         Ghana Trade Fair Company site, La
           •	            we will work with professionals in the industry to make Ghana the destination of choice in
                         sub-Saharan Africa, and to attract investments into, and unlock the commercial value of
                         the sector
           •	            Government will work with the House of Chiefs for the:
                         •	   passage of the Chieftaincy Amendment Bill
                         •	   coming into effect of The Legislative Instrument On Membership  of National and
                              Regional Houses of Chiefs
                         •	   increase in budgetary allocation to House of Chiefs (for example, allowances for
                              committee meetings and capital expenditure)
                         •	   codification (and digitisation) of Customary Law and Lines of Succession
                         •	   completion of the National House of Chiefs’ Complex and construction of new offices
                              for the House of Chiefs in the six new regions, and
                         •	   enhanced consultation with Chiefs in the appointment of government representatives
                              to the district and municipal assemblies
It is a sector with a high potential for job creation, especially for the youth, and is a driver of
economic growth. The World Economic Forum has noted that creative thinking will be one
of the most important skills needed to survive and thrive in the fourth industrial revolution
world of robotics, artificial intelligence and automation. This is because artistic success in
the creative arts is defined by individual talent or merit. It is, therefore, somewhat immune to
automation. It is difficult to automate creativity, passion and compassion. The industry, thus,
offers opportunities for viable and long-lasting jobs. It is also a vehicle for tourism growth.
Notwithstanding the obvious potential of the creative arts industry, Governments over the years
have invested relatively little in the industry. With the coming into office of the NPP in 2017, we
set out to write a different script for the creative arts industry. In this regard, we have:
           •	            set up the National Folklore Board to enforce the copyright of Adinkra and Kente symbols
           •	            set up the Creative Arts Council to organise the processes leading to the drafting of the
                         Creative Arts Bill and the establishment of the Creative Arts Fund. It works closely with
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             associations in the Arts, including MUSIGA, Performers, FIPAG, Arts Association and
             others to ensure the industry consolidates and moves faster
        •	   inaugurated the National Film Authority in December 2019. Its aim is to make Ghana the
             hub of film production in Africa
        •	   drafted a Creative Arts Bill which has been approved by Cabinet for submission to
             Parliament for enactment. The Bill will, amongst others, set up a Creative Arts Fund to
             provide funding to the industry
        •	   completed the construction of a performing arts theatre in Koforidua and another is
             ongoing in Kumasi
        •	   begun construction in Kwadaso of Ghana’s first creative arts Senior High School
        •	   hosted the “Year of Return” programme, which provided a major boost to the creative arts
             industry, and
        •	   begun to implement the “Beyond the Return” programme
      In our next term of office, we will make the Creative Arts Industry a major growth pole in our
      Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, and, to give effect to this, we have included it as one of the core
      industries for which we want to make Ghana a hub in West Africa. This will require significant
      government investment to support the industry and the youth in particular. Specifically:
      Governance
      In the next four years, we will continue pursuing reforms to strengthen governance institutions,
      including local government and anti-corruption institutions.
Sports Development
In the next four years, Government will create opportunities for many more citizens to participate
in sports for recreation and laurels, to enhance the image of Ghana at international sports, and
as a viable commercial and job creation opportunity for Ghanaians, especially the youth. In this
direction, we will:
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        •	   continue to rehabilitate all other National Sports Stadia, and establish sustainable
             maintenance culture in our stadia management system. Government has already
             rehabilitated and brought to life the Accra Sports Stadium, and rehabilitation of Essipong
             and Kumasi stadia are ongoing
        •	   having cooperated with FIFA, the world football governing body, to reorganise and
             strengthen the Ghana Football Association (GFA), support the nation’s football teams,
             especially the Black Stars and Black Queens, through the GFA, to bring back the glory
             and international stature of Ghana as a force in the world of football, and
        •	   under the Zongo Development Fund, introduce the Zongo Youth Football Talent Hunt
             (ZYFTAH) programme, a special program for the youth in Zongos which will help unearth,
             develop and promote football talents in Zongo communities through competitions and
             football clinics in collaboration with local and international partners. Having showed
             commitment to promoting the development of football in Zongos by building 10 Astro
             and Green turfs in Zongos across the country, and with the intention to build more, the
             Zongo Youth Football Talent Hunt (ZYFTAH) will make the construction of these parks,
             and many more to be constructed, more useful and meaningful to the youth in Zongos
             through competitions and talent-hunt programmes under ZYFTAH.
PART 5
ACCELERATING GROWTH
AND TRANSFORMATION
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
        •	    the biometric National ID Card (NID), or the Ghana Card: this provides a unique bio-
              identification for all Ghanaians and residents, including fingerprints, facial recognition, and
              irises. The Ghana Card will help us better identify individuals, families, and communities,
              and using related data, for example, better direct social protection programmes to those
              who need it most. It will also help us optimise the delivery of public services, and improve
              access to, and quality of these services at affordable rates. The Ghana Card will be the
              “Central Nervous System” of our digital assets, and, in the long-term, other national
              identity cards will be replaced by the Ghana Card
        •	    the Ghana Post GPS or the National Digital Addressing System, which provides an
              address system using unique postal codes for every property within Ghana. The system
              allows for the easy location of addresses as well as for the delivery of goods and services
              across the country, and will be the backbone of Ghana’s e-commerce market
        •	    the Mobile Money Payments Interoperability System, which makes it possible for the
              transfer of funds from mobile money accounts to bank accounts (back-to-back) and from
              mobile or bank accounts to biometric payment card accounts, for example e-Zwich. The
              triangular mobile money payments interoperability as well as the Ghana Dual Card allows
              for the seamless movement of cash across bank accounts, mobile wallets and e-Zwich
              cards. It has allowed all mobile money users to have practically bank accounts
        •	    Ghana.Gov (Digital Payment Platform), which is a one-stop shop platform to enable
              citizens easily access government services, simplify payments for public services, ensure
              prompt payments for the services and promote transparency and visibility of government
              revenues, and
        •	    Universal QR Code, which takes us to the last mile of the payment system of everyday
              economic transactions of most citizens. The platform provides a secure, convenient and
              low-cost payment platform to the vast majority of Ghanaians, especially in the informal
              and MSME market.
These platforms and initiatives have worked together to transform the lives and businesses of
citizens and corporate Ghana, and is helping transform and reshape how our economy works.
The benefits of reducing inefficiencies, tracking inputs and outflows more accurately, shortening
turnaround time, and ease of access to required information and services translate intangible
time into tangible currency and increased productivity.
One of the key lessons from the pandemic is that a robust digital economy is absolutely critical
for growing economies like ours, not only to enable us to drive growth, but also to manage
critical systems, from health through manufacturing and delivery systems in times of crisis. The
Mobile Money Payments Interoperability System turned out to be a critical lifeline to individuals
and small businesses, including e-commerce firms, to send and receive money and payments,
which helped cope with the disruptions caused by the containment measures.
The Ghana Card, the Digital Address System, the Mobile Money Payments Interoperability
System, the Ghana.Gov Payments Platform, and the Universal QR Code are key enablers if
Ghana is to harness the potential of digital technologies. Our goal is to link the Ghana Card and
Digital Address System databases to the “Birth and Death Registry”, closing the final loop in
identification of citizens and residents.
Over the next four years, we will leverage on our existing digital infrastructure and make the
necessary investments and policies to establish firmly Ghana as the digital services hub of
West Africa. Specifically:
           •	            putting in place the next generation of connected market infrastructure on which the
                         government and the economy can ride. This initiative will connect key pieces of Ghana’s
                         national infrastructure, including identification, electronic KYC, and payment systems to
                         improve transparency, promote competition, lower costs and ensure digital inclusion
           •	            rationalisation of the functions of institutions in the technology space to avoid functional
                         overlaps, as well as streamline the legal and regulatory framework in line with international
                         best standards
           •	            updating of Ghana’s spectrum policy and regulations to promote greater transparency,
                         competitive and rapid expansion of internet services to rural areas
           •	            enhancement of our soft infrastructure, by establishing a national data centre that
                         centralises all digital information and data storage, management and protection
           •	            leveraging of digital transformation as a driver of growth, by increasing broadband
                         coverage throughout the country, as well as increasing access and affordability of digital
                         devices
           •	            investment in human capital to build our digital skills base, by continuing our investments
                         in teaching ICT from primary school
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        •	   creation of a large local digital market in West Africa and beyond, and provide solutions to
             problems in the region
        •	   exploration of innovations to make sure the visually impaired are not left out of the ongoing
             digital revolution
        •	   reducing the high cost of data in Ghana
             •	   while the cost of data has gone down significantly (by 40%, from $1.56 per 1G in 2019
                  to $0.94 in 2020) and placed Ghana as the sixth cheapest in Africa, our goal is to be
                  among the cheapest
             •	   to do this, we will reduce taxes on digital devices
             •	   reduce spectrum and license costs, and
        •	   reducing further the cost of international calls to support both regional and international
             trade, by:
             •	   removing the mandatory $0.19 per minute tariff for international incoming calls and
                  replacing it with a competitive regime
             •	   converting the $0.06 surcharge to an ad valorem tax
In line with this, and building on from what we have achieved over the last three and a half
years, we plan, over the next four years, to:
           •	            set out a clear cluster of core economic sectors to guide private sector investments
           •	            tackle the longstanding, key binding constraints to private sector growth
           •	            promote enablers for private sector growth
           •	            invest in the development of an entrepreneurial culture, and
           •	            build a resilient financial services sector for economic transformation
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              •	    Automobile Hub
              •	    Tourism, Hospitality, and Creative Arts Hub, and
              •	    Digital Services Hub
      In the last three and a half years, our flagship initiatives in agriculture, industry, and services
      have all seen increased private sector participation. Ghanaian-owned technology firms have
      collaborated with government in the delivery of public services, from passport processing to
      drivers’ license acquisition, the National Identification Card and Digital Addressing projects
      among others. We will deepen this relationship over the next four years to grow the core
      economic clusters.
        •	    review and restructure our energy-mix to generate cheaper sources for industries,
              including gas and renewable energy
        •	    complete the re-negotiation of the existing power purchase agreements to reduce the
              take-or-pay commitments and the excess capacity charges that translate into higher
              power tariffs
        •	    rationalise the fuel-mix for thermal plants on the basis of cost efficiency
        •	    improve efficiency by cutting down the technical and transmission losses of GRIDCO,
              and ECG. These operational and inefficiency losses also translate into their high revenue
              requirements, which then mirror into high tariffs to households and businesses.
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             to Government. The equipment will be placed in a Plant Pool from which indigenous,
             Ghanaian-owned businesses can rent at subsidised rates for local and international
             projects.
        •	   We will scale back Government activities, which crowd out the private sector
        	    Central Government, historically, has engaged in activities and in sectors that should
             have been led by the private sector. In procurement, financing, and business, “the state’s”
             activities have over time become a disincentive for private sector investment. We want
             to scale this back, which in effect will open up financing for the private sector. Over the
             next four years, we will optimise how government approaches its capital expenditure as
             follows:
             •	 purchases of equipment, vehicles, and similar assets remain major capital expenditure
                items of government. They also remain some of the less efficiently managed assets
                over the years. Initial capital outlays, as well as increasing lifetime cost of total
                ownership, mean we have to adopt different ways of acquiring capital equipment.
             	   For example, a major bottleneck in equipping our health centres, from clinics through
                 polyclinics to general and specialist hospitals, is the initial cost of medical equipment
                 and devices. Over the years, we have tried different methods, including raising loans
                 to purchase equipment.
             	   There has been a lot of wastage in lack of maintenance of office equipment, only for
                 new ones to be purchased every fiscal year.
             	   In the next NPP Government, we shall implement a National Equipment Leasing
                 Policy (NELP) covering medical equipment, vehicles, photocopiers, printers, and
                 scanners among others as part of the measures to manage more efficiently our capital
                 expenditure budget.
             	   For example, as an alternative to the outright purchase of office equipment like
                 photocopiers and printers, we shall acquire a full service operating lease service, in
                 which a provider leases printers and copiers to government and is responsible for the
                 replacement of toners, repairs, maintenance, and replacement for an agreed fee.
             	   For medical equipment, we shall generally employ a Build, Lease, Operate, and Transfer
                 (BLOT) policy, through which private sector operators will be offered concessions at
                 public sector health facilities to bring in and operate equipment. At the end of the
                 concession period, the equipment is transferred to government.
        •	   We will continue to ensure that the financial sector is strong, competitive, and resilient,
             and able to provide the necessary financing in support of private sector growth
        •	   We will continue to issue long-dated bonds to set benchmarks for, and enable corporate
             Ghana raise funding through long term corporate bonds
        •	   We will exempt prospecting and reconnaissance by mining firms from VAT and other taxes,
             to incentivise investment in exploration activities to delineate ore bodies as a means to
             ensure a pipeline of mining projects
        •	   To complete the process of fiscal reforms in the mining sector, we will enact the Minerals
             Revenue Management Act, similar to the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, using the
             Minerals Income Investment Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978), which we passed as the foundation
Recent reforms have led to an improvement in our World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business”
ranking from 120 in 2017 to 118 out of 190 economies in 2019. Ghana has also become the
host for the Secretariat of the largest single market in the world, the African Continental Free
Trade Area (AfCTA).
We have strengthened the legal framework to improve transparency in the business environment
and to fight corruption, including, passing into law:
We have applied Open and Competitive Bidding for, and conducted Ghana’s first open bidding
round for, oil blocks, and
In our next term, to reform further the business and regulatory environment, we will:
           •	            introduce a risk-based licensing and inspection system, and remove the license
                         requirements for all companies that do not pose any health or public safety risk
           •	            continue to modernise the legal framework for investment and business, including
                         contract enforcement, the Borrowers and Lenders Act and Construction Sector LI
           •	            implement fully recently enacted business laws, The Companies Act and Corporate
                         Insolvency Law
           •	            introduce a single business identifier for interactions with all government agencies to
                         reduce compliance cost and time for the private sector
           •	            set up a one-stop shop that gathers together all agencies involved in the building
                         permitting process for improved service delivery
           •	            continue to improve access to land, especially to give certainty of title for investors by:
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      PART 5: ACCELERATING GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
      Over the next four years, using a Private Sector Participation Partner (PSP), we will address five
      main issues on the entire process and management of land title administration:
It is increasingly clear that one area, which has been largely neglected, is the supply and
services value-chain. In our next term, we will, among other actions:
           •	 place more emphasis on Ghanaian participation along the supply and services value chain,
              in addition to mandatory local equity participation. While Ghanaian equity participation
              will remain desirable and a key plank in our policy toolset, we will explore options to
              upscale participation along supply and services value chains, and
           •	 place strong emphasis on capacity development so we can have more technical experts
              across all the skills areas for the oil and gas and other natural resources sectors.
The next four years, under our plan to support the private sector and to promote a set of core
economic clusters, we will increase our investments in the support of exports in three areas:
           •	            construct one of the biggest convention and exhibition centres in the world at the Ghana
                         Trade Fair Company site, to attract foreign trade and investments particularly in NTEs
           •	 partner the private sector to complete the development of industrial parks under the “One
              Region, One Park” Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Programme, one in each region, to
              anchor labour-intensive manufacturing for exports. To this end, a special economic zone
              policy framework will be implemented in our next term, and
           •	 use the Ghana Tree Crop Development Authority (GTCDA) as an anchor, and increase
              funding for the development of Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) of selected agricultural
              crops
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      PART 5: ACCELERATING GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
      commercial vehicle owners and operators need to replace aged and un-roadworthy commercial
      vehicles.
        •	    private sector commercial vehicle owners and operators will turn-in their existing, aged
              vehicles, in exchange for financed, new vehicles, and
        •	    the new vehicles will be Made-in-Ghana by private-sector assemblers of taxis, trotros,
              trucks and buses.
      As a special incentive, a component of the TSRP will extend a financing arrangement to
      teachers, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to acquire vehicles through
      Government-backed, private-sector leases.
      TSRP will boost the market for vehicle leasing, locally assembled vehicles, light manufacturing
      industries and distribution of automobile parts, and the recycling market.
      Another major benefit of TSRP will be the reduction of vehicle-related road accidents. One of
      the major causes of road accidents is the nature of our roads, and while we have embarked
      on the massive “Year of Roads” initiative to address this, over the next four years, we will also
      turn our attention to another major cause of accidents: aged, usually un-roadworthy vehicles
      through the TRSP.
        •	    we have created over two million jobs in the public and private formal sectors since
              2017 (inclusive of Government job-creation programmes and initiatives such as Planting
              for Food and Jobs, NABCO Graduate Programme and National Entrepreneurship and
              Innovation Plan)
        •	    our policies have also led to significant job creation by the private sector, for example
              through the revival of the Obuasi Mine of Anglogold Ashanti. Since its restart, from June
              2018, to June 2020, the Obuasi Mine has employed 4,163 people on the mine rehabilitation
              project, with 78% of the US$502 million so far spent going directly to Ghanaian-owned
              (39%) and Ghana-domiciled (39%) firms that hires Ghanaians, and over two-hundred and
              fifty thousand private formal sector jobs according to data from the Social Security and
              National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
        •	    we have established a national job recruitment agency through the Youth Employment
              Agency’s (YEA) Job-Matching Centres to match Ghanaian youth with job openings
        •	    we have supported youth-owned businesses and initiatives through:
              •	    the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP)
              •	    President’s Business Support Programme
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      PART 5: ACCELERATING GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
      A second component of the project will be aimed at supporting young jobseekers to find jobs
      through public employment centres across the country.
Over the next four years, we will, in addition to the specific initiatives we have mapped out
previously, invest in:
In particular, we will leverage strengths of public-sector financial institutions like the Ghana
Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIFF), the proposed Development Bank, as well as geo-financial
arrangements like the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), which is receiving support
from the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the strategic siting of the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Ghana, to create a regional financial services hub that
will contribute in large measure to the deepening of both domestic and regional capital markets
to finance our economic transformation agenda. The implementation of the Ghana Capital
Market Master Plan will more than double the portfolio of financial and investments products
and services in Ghana, and in the region.
The clean-up of the financial services sector, which our Government stepped in to finance and
ensure an orderly exit of failed institutions, has set us on a path to a stronger and more resilient
banking sector, and we will, over the next four years, build upon this to finance the economic
transformation of Ghana towards building a Ghana Beyond Aid.
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PART 6
CONCLUSION
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
      We have turned agriculture into a major growth driver through our programme for Planting for
      Food and Jobs, helping improve farmer incomes, meeting local food needs, and exporting
      to the region. We have sowed the seeds for an industrial expansion through the One District
      One Factory and Strategic Anchor Industries policies to transform Ghana’s economy from an
      exporter of raw materials to that of a private sector powered value-added economy. We have
      reduced the overall tax burden on businesses to stimulate production, and reduced electricity
      tariffs for all other consumers.
      We have made investments to balance the infrastructure gaps between major cities and
      towns, between urban and rural communities, and between suburbs, inner cities and Zongos.
      Initiatives such as IPEP and the Zongo Development Fund are helping provide much-needed
      local infrastructure in water, sanitation, and health in order to improve the standard of living of
      Ghanaians living in disadvantaged communities.
      We have invested in programmes and initiatives to protect the vulnerable and the disadvantaged,
      and to provide social safety nets through Free SHS/TVET policies, expansion of the School
      Feeding Programme and LEAP, reduction in utility tariffs for households, increases in funding
      allocations to Persons Living With Disability (PLWDs), and strengthening the NHIS.
      We have supported the youth and youth-owned businesses through NEIP, The President’s
      Business Support Programme, Campus Business Pitch and Greenhouse Villages initiative.
      We have provided strong, decisive leadership in managing the Coronavirus pandemic and its
      effects, and committed significant financial resources in helping households, health workers,
      businesses, workers and MSMEs cope with the disruptions to lives, livelihoods, supply chains,
      and business continuity.
      The result of all of this is a doubling of our economic growth and the creation of over two million
      jobs in the public and private formal sectors since 2017 (inclusive of Government job-creation
      programmes and initiatives such as Planting for Food and Jobs, NABCO Graduate Programme
      and National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan). Since its restart, from June 2018, to June
      2020, the Obuasi Mine has employed 4,163 people on the mine rehabilitation project, with
      78% of the US$502 million so far spent going directly to Ghanaian-owned (39%) and Ghana-
      domiciled (39%) firms that hire Ghanaians.
      We have shown that, with good governance, we can help make life better for every Ghanaian,
      young and old, no matter where you live in this country.
We want to do more over the next four years towards our overall vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid
through:
           1.	 Consolidating Our Achievements: Over the last three and a half years, we have
               delivered and continue delivering quality results across all sectors, and this has enabled
               us to blunt largely the severest forms of the pandemic. Our plan over the next four years
               is to build on what we have achieved together. Incorporating the lessons learnt from the
               pandemic, we will consolidate the progress we have made on all our flagship policies,
               programmes, and initiatives across the various sectors, including continuing with “Free
               SHS”, “Planting for Food and Jobs”, “One District, One Factory”, “IPEP”, and “Zongo
               Development Fund” among the many others. In consolidating our successes, we will
               focus on process improvements, budget optimisation, and delivery of core public goods
               and services by addressing market failure challenges, while creating much greater scope
               for the participation of the private sector in delivery of these public services, proof of
               effectiveness which we have demonstrated in many of our digitisation initiatives
           2.	 Building a Resilient and Dynamic Economy and a Regional Hub for Job Creation:
               The Coronavirus pandemic has reaffirmed our vision of building a Ghana Beyond Aid,
               one of the key pillars of which is to build a resilient economy with the financial strength to
               fund public services, and to ensure a strong Ghanaian presence and capacity across the
               supply and services value chains of all the major sectors. We will build on the stable and
               predictable foundation we have crafted, and make the right investments to develop Ghana
               into a Regional Hub for Financial Services, Aviation and Logistics, Petroleum, Automobiles,
               Digital Services, Tourism, Hospitality and Creative Arts; diversify our economy; substitute
               imports; accelerate technology adoption and build a digital economy; and create more
               high-value jobs through the Ghana CARES programme
           3.	 Industrial Transformation: Building on the “One District, One Factory” and “Strategic
               Anchor Industries” policies, we will continue to promote agro-processing, including cocoa
               processing, add value to our minerals and petro-chemicals, promote labour-intensive
               and light manufacturing activities, continue the development of the Aluminium, Iron and
               Steel industries along their entire value chains through GIADEC and GIISDEC, establish a
               Development Bank to mobilise long-term capital for lending through banks for large-scale
               agricultural and industrial projects, and leverage our Regional Hub status and as hosts for
               the Secretariat of the AfCFTA to expand our access to regional and continental markets
           4.	 Agricultural Transformation: As a source of livelihood for nearly 60% of our population,
               agriculture is a key growth pillar in building a Ghana Beyond Aid. We will continue our
               investments to strengthen our food security, provide raw materials for our agro-processing
               industry, create jobs, and increase substantially our foreign exchange earnings
           5.	 Investing in Education: At the heart of building a Ghana Beyond Aid is a skilled, well-
               educated citizen prepared for a value-added, well-paying job. We will continue our
               investments in providing Free SHS and TVET Education, continue with the implementation
               of the free Wifi for SHS and public tertiary institutions project, roll out the US$219 million
               GALOP initiative to resource students and teachers in disadvantaged schools, and expand
               the use of technology as learning aids in schools by students and teachers. We will also
               continue to increase the manpower resources and teaching facilities, including the use
               of ICT teaching aids, of public tertiary institutions to support the anticipated increases in
               student population from the Free SHS graduates, as well as resources and infrastructure
               for special needs education across the country. We will make sure no student who has
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            obtained admission to a tertiary institution is denied access because they are unable to
            pay fees, by providing them an option to obtain a student loan without the requirement
            of a guarantor for the loan, provided the student has a National Identification Number
            from the GhanaCard, and to defer repayment of the loan after National Service plus an
            additional one-year grace period
        6.	 Investing in Health: The global pandemic has reinforced the adage that “a sound mind
            in a sound body” is our best defence against new diseases and economic meltdowns.
            This dovetails into the Ghana Beyond Aid’s grounding in healthy, active citizens with
            skills and education prepared for the future. In addition to all the interventions we have
            made in the health sector, including the provision of, for the first time in our history, over
            300 ambulances, we will, over the next four years, complete the delivery of the largest
            healthcare infrastructure investment by any government in the last five decades, including
            the construction of 101 District Hospitals with doctors and nurses accommodation, 7
            new regional hospitals, rehabilitation of the Efia Nkwanta Hospital, 2 new psychiatric
            hospitals, 3 infectious disease centres for the three ecological zones, a Ghana Centre for
            Disease Control, as well as complete ongoing projects in the health sector. We will also
            bring health promotion and prevention as part of primary health care under the NHIS,
            which will continue to be free for children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups to
            achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We will remove import duties on sanitary pads
            to improve health outcomes for girls while supporting local production to meet demand,
            complete the ongoing digitisation initiatives, while also increasing the manpower resources
            in the healthcare sector. We will invest in expanding infrastructure in medical schools to
            train more doctors, and streamline the admission of foreign-trained doctors into Ghana
        7.	 Establishing a National Rent Assistance Scheme: While we continue to pursue long-
            term solutions to the development of the housing market, to address, in our second term,
            the short-to-medium term market failures in the renter-segment of the housing market,
            we will establish a National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS). In partnership with the
            private sector, the Scheme will provide low-interest loans to eligible Ghanaians to enable
            them pay rent advance. These loans will be repaid on a monthly basis to match the
            tenor of the rent, and will be insured to ensure sustainability. Government will seed the
            Scheme with GH¢100 million which will be leveraged to crowd-in additional investment
            from the private sector. The Scheme will target individuals (both in the formal and informal
            sectors) with identifiable and regular income. The rent advance loans will be paid directly
            into the bank accounts of landlords, who would have to register with the Scheme. As
            part of our interventions, we will also implement the necessary regulatory, institutional,
            and operational reforms of the Rent Control Department, including the digitisation of its
            operations, to enhance delivery and make it better able to serve the changing needs of
            market players, including landlords and tenants. A new Rent Control Act has been drafted
            for review by Cabinet in this direction
        8.	 Investing in Physical Infrastructure: A fundamental pillar of the Ghana Beyond Aid vision
            is building a united Ghana. This is why we have invested in bridging the infrastructural gaps
            between the north and south, rural and urban, and suburbs, inner cities and Zongos. We
            have been building water and sanitation systems, schools and healthcare facilities, small-
            earth dams and dugouts, markets and security infrastructure through flagship initiatives
            such as IPEP and Zongo Development Fund. To complete the loop, we have also invested
            in road and rail infrastructure. While continuing these investments, our major focus over
            the next term will be housing, railway, and roads infrastructure. We will deliver roads under
                         the “Year of Roads” project, complete the Tema-Mpakadan rail project and commence all
                         the others. We will also continue investing in the expansion of infrastructure at all public
                         tertiary institutions to enhance capacity and facilities to absorb the expected increases in
                         student population as graduating students from Free SHS pursue further education
           9.	 Using Digital Transformation as an Enabler of Growth (Soft Infrastructure): Digitisation
               is a key enabler under the Ghana Beyond Aid vision, supporting the systems we need to
               improve domestic revenue collection and be more accountable in management of public
               funds. We will continue with the digitisation of public services we have championed over
               the last three and a half years. In the next four years, we plan to build a digital services
               economy through the expansion of the Ghana Innovation Hub project to nurture start-
               ups to accelerate the development of applications software, provide regional e-backroom
               services, and enterprise-level software. The foundational Ghana Card, Digital Address
               System, Mobile Money Payments Interoperability System, Ghana. Gov Payments
               Platform, and Universal QR Code, together with a digitised “Birth and Death Registry”,
               will serve as the key enablers for our digital services economy push over the next four
               years. We will also implement the newly enacted Registration of Births and Deaths Bill to
               decentralise the registration of births and deaths as part of the reforms
           10.	Investing in Youth Development and Entrepreneurship: The Ghanaian youth is at the
               centre of the growth agenda of our Ghana Beyond Aid vision, particularly in the roles
               of entrepreneurship and digitisation in the growth of the economy. We have kept faith
               with the youth by creating over two million jobs in three and half years which mostly
               benefits the youth. We have invested in youth-focused entrepreneurial programmes and
               free secondary and technical-vocational too. Over the next four years, we plan to tackle
               the rental segment of the housing market providing the youth with low-interest loans to
               enable them pay rent advance. We will also implement programmes to reduce further the
               cost of data to support youth-focused businesses, and to be the drivers of our digital
               services. We will implement the US$200 million Job and Skills Project which will provide
               youth-owned small businesses with grants, training, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurial
               skills. Furthermore, we will designate the creative arts industry as a major growth pole and
               establish a Creative Arts Fund to support artists
           11.	Leveraging Sports for Development: We will also develop and leverage sports activities
               to create commercial and professional opportunities for the youth. In furtherance of this
               objective, we will, over the next four years, build six additional, fully functional Multi-
               Purpose Youth and Sports Centres of Excellence in each of the six newly created
               Regions, host and organise the 13th African Games in 2023 which will afford Ghana the
               opportunity to construct a National Olympic Stadium Complex to bridge the nation’s
               sports infrastructure deficit, and upgrade the National Sports College into a National
               High-Performance Training Centre (NHPTC), equipped with the requisite facilities, to
               train and retrain sports coaches and officiating officials as well as offer camping and
               training facilities to national and international teams. We will also, as part of a rapid Elite
               Sports Performers Development Pathway, select and train talents in selected sports
               disciplines in which Ghana has comparative advantage to compete for the nation, and,
               under the Zongo Development Fund, introduce the Zongo Youth Football Talent Hunt
               (ZYFTAH) programme, a special program for the youth in Zongos, which will help unearth,
               develop and promote football talents in Zongo communities through competitions and
               football clinics in collaboration with local and international partners. We will continue to
               rehabilitate all other National Sports Stadia, and, having cooperated with FIFA, the world
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            football governing body, to reorganise and strengthen the Ghana Football Association
            (GFA), support the nation’s football teams, especially the Black Stars and Black Queens,
            through the GFA, to bring back the glory and international stature of Ghana as a force in
            the world of football
        12.	Strengthening our Private Sector: Towards the building of a Ghana Beyond Aid, we see
            the private sector taking the lead in partnering government to deliver public services. We
            will support the private sector by tackling the cost of power, access to and cost of finance,
            business environment bottlenecks, including continuing to improve access to land and
            introducing regulatory flexibility for MSMEs to improve compliance post COVID-19, using
            our local content strategy to promote Ghanaian participation in supplies and services value
            chains, export development and diversification, youth development and entrepreneurship,
            and rethinking public sector capital expenditure so it can better play its role in building
            a Ghana Beyond Aid. In addition, over the next four years, we will implement a National
            Equipment Leasing Policy, covering medical equipment, vehicles, photocopiers, printers,
            and scanners as part of the measures to manage more efficiently our capital expenditure
            budget. Under the policy, as an alternative to the outright purchase of office equipment
            like photocopiers and printers, we shall acquire full service operating lease services.
            Furthermore, to address the lack of a long-term, efficient financing mechanism for
            commercial transport owners and operators, we will implement Government-backed,
            private sector-led Lease-To-Own financing arrangement that will provide the long-term
            financing commercial vehicle owners and operators (taxis, trotros, trucks, and buses)
            need to replace aged and un-roadworthy commercial vehicles with new Made-in-Ghana
            vehicles. We will also extend a financing arrangement to teachers, nurses, doctors, and
            other healthcare professionals to acquire vehicles through Government-backed, private-
            sector leases, as well as support reforms in land administration, including increasing
            resources to the courts for the speedy adjudication of land disputes
        13.	Protecting the Vulnerable and Disadvantaged (Social Intervention/Protection): A
            Ghana Beyond Aid is a vision of a society which implements meaningful programmes
            to support its vulnerable and disadvantaged. Our record in designing and implementing
            social protection programmes is unmatched, and we will continue to show faith in our
            people. We will continue to implement programmes like Free SHS, affordable water and
            electricity tariffs and employment for people with disabilities, among others. To serve
            better Ghanaians, we will, over the next four years, institutionalise and combine the
            Ghana National Household Registry and major Flagship Social Protection Programme
            databases and link them to the National Identification Card to create a “Single Registry”
            system. This will help manage both the selection, identification, and provision of social
            protection services and benefits to the vulnerable and disadvantaged. We will also
            continue, in line with our policy interventions to promote and support women in business,
            the professions, society, and in politics, as well as the promotion of the health of young
            girls, their education and participation in sports, pass the Affirmative Action Bill, increase
            our support for women-owned businesses which dominate the MSME sector and employ
            many female workers, and support the private sector to ramp up production, locally,
            of sanitary pads while eliminating import duty on them until production catches up. In
            addition existing interventions, we will expand the scope, membership, and mandate
            of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee tasked with mainstreaming disability
            issues in local government, to encompass the implementation, broadly, the provisions
                         in the Persons With Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), in particular in addressing access to
                         facilities, transportation and equal employment opportunities.
           14.	Promoting Good Governance and Fighting Corruption: Achieving a Ghana Beyond
               Aid requires “a Government which is more transparent, [and] accountable with zero
               corruption.” Over the last three and a half years, we have strengthened the regulatory
               and legal framework to fight corruption by implementing several digitisation initiatives as
               well as passing into law several pieces of anti-corruption related legislation, including the
               Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 959), the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2018
               (Act 959) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989) to unearth public-sector
               corruption. In addition, more than forty (40) high profile persons have been charged for
               various acts arising out of actions and activities superintended by the Mahama-led NDC
               administration involving, in monetary terms a total of US$265.5 million and GH¢2.225
               billion. To date, six (6) have been found guilty. Over the next four years, we will improve
               the financing of governance and anti-corruption MDAs as we have done over the last few
               years, to enable them recruit, continue to train, and retain dedicated staff to support the
               fight against corruption and provide resources for the effective functioning of the Right to
               Information Commission
           15.	Ensuring Security and Safety: A Ghana Beyond Aid requires maintaining public safety
               and security so that citizens can go about their lawful activities in peace and safety.
               Over the last three and a half years, we have invested significantly towards enhancing
               public safety and security by providing equipment and logistics to the security services,
               including over 1,300 vehicles, recruitment of over 4,000 police personnel, training of 15,000
               Community Police Officers, training and equipping of drug enforcement officials, and
               construction of housing units and accommodation for the security services. In addition,
               the successful implementation of the Accra Initiative, so-called because of the origin of the
               idea, involving the consistent collaboration and co-operation of security and intelligence
               heads from Ghana and our neighbouring countries, namely Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso,
               Togo, Benin, Mali and Niger, continue to be our concrete contribution to the fight against
               terrorism in our region. Through joint security operations, such as KOUDANGOU and the
               ongoing Operation CONQUERED FIST, we will continue to reinforce the security of our
               north-western, northern and north-eastern borders to guard against any infiltrations into
               the country. In this regard, we will enhance the capacity of our security forces through
               the provision of equipment, logistics, intelligence capability, and training to maintain the
               peace and fight crime within our borders, as well as international terrorists who may
               seek to destabilise our country. We will continue to tackle the long-standing housing
               problem that has faced our security services by undertaking significant investments in
               housing projects of varying sizes for the men and women of the security services, which
               is ongoing under the National Barracks Regeneration Programme for the military
           16.	Building a Resilient Financial Services Sector for Economic Transformation:
               Consolidating our successes, building Ghana into a Regional Hub, transforming the
               agricultural and industrial sectors and supporting them with long-term financing, investing
               in youth development and entrepreneurship, and mobilising resources to finance the
               recovery and transformation of the economy requires a resilient financial services sector.
               Over the next four years, we will mobilise private capital to fund part of the Ghana
               CARES Programme, implement the Ghana Capital Market Master Plan, and complete the
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            implementation of the International Financial Services Centre to help crowd in the GH¢70
            billion required to match Government’s GH¢30 billion needed to finance the Ghana CARES
            programme. We will leverage the strengths of GIFF, the proposed Development Bank, the
            IFSC, and the AfCFTA to create a regional financial services hub that will contribute in
            large measure to the deepening of both domestic and regional capital markets to finance
            our economic transformation agenda.
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