The Chairman of the Manifesto Committee on Science and Technology of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, has advocated for constitutional reforms aimed at enhancing the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to effectively steer the nation’s long-term development strategy.
He articulated that such reforms would mitigate the overwhelming influence of political party manifestos. Dr. Marfo underscored the necessity of empowering the NDPC as an autonomous entity with Cabinet-level authority to ensure that national development plans serve as the fundamental framework for the country’s advancement.
His remarks were made in Accra last Tuesday during the presidential dialogue on science, technology, and innovation organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The dialogue aimed to facilitate meaningful discussions among the 2024 presidential candidates regarding policies, strategies, and initiatives that could foster economic growth through the promotion of science, technology, and innovation.
In his argument, Dr. Marfo contended that while party manifestos hold significance, they should be aligned with overarching national development objectives rather than dictating the development agenda.
Currently, party manifestos seem to hold more influence than our national plans but this should not be the case. Development plans must guide policy actions and manifestos should simply outline how a party intends to achieve these plans.
He suggested constitutional amendments aimed at granting the NDPC autonomy and promoting its chairperson to a cabinet-level role. According to him, this change would facilitate closer collaboration between the commission and the government, thereby ensuring the continuity of long-term initiatives such as infrastructure development, economic growth, and environmental sustainability, irrespective of the political party in power.
We need to amend the Constitution to enshrine the requirement for a national development plan every 10 or 20 years, which should serve as the foundation for political party manifestos. This would prevent the national plan from becoming a bystander to political documents.
Dr. Marfo highlighted the significance of synchronizing national objectives with advancements in science and technology, stressing the necessity for a sustainable funding framework to support essential research projects.
Regarding the persistent challenge of illegal mining within the nation, he advocated for a more holistic strategy, starting with a comprehensive geological survey across the country to pinpoint mineral-rich regions and to prevent the harmful “trial-and-error” methods currently utilized by illegal miners
People know there’s gold in this country, but we lack a detailed geological map of where it is. We need to invest in a national geological assessment so that we can allocate resources responsibly and avoid the environmental destruction caused by indiscriminate mining.
He stated that this approach would guarantee the direct involvement of local stakeholders in the licensing process and ensure their accountability for overseeing mining operations within their respective areas.
