Bawumia Proposes National Masterplans for Ghana's Development Continuity

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of Ghana's opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has proposed that all political parties in Ghana commit to long-term national masterplans for critical sectors of the economy. This proposal aims to ensure that development programs continue regardless of which party wins political power. Dr. Bawumia made this suggestion after his final day of formal engagements in Japan, where he met with several organizations, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Dr. Bawumia's proposal is inspired by Japan's approach to long-term development planning, where governments build consensus around national plans and commit to implementing them over several decades. In Japan, development plans are executed over periods of up to 30 years, making it less likely for incoming governments to abandon projects started by their predecessors. Dr. Bawumia noted that this approach is a major difference between Japan and Ghana, where several critical sectors lack agreed national masterplans that successive governments are committed to implementing.

Dr. Bawumia identified coastal erosion, flood control, and public transport as sectors that require agreed national development plans that would not be discarded following a change of government. He proposed that all political parties formally sign up to such plans to ensure that they become national commitments rather than the development agenda of individual administrations. This, he believes, will ensure continuity in major national projects and policies beyond the four-year electoral cycle.

The former Vice-President explained that his proposal seeks to address one of the recurring challenges in Ghana's development process: ensuring continuity in major national projects and policies beyond the four-year electoral cycle. Dr. Bawumia believes that by adopting a long-term approach to development planning, Ghana can avoid the disruption of critical projects following changes in political leadership and establish a more consistent approach to national development.

Dr. Bawumia's engagements in Japan focused on disaster risk reduction, coastal erosion, flood mitigation, transport planning, and the development of masterplans for cities. He held meetings with several organizations, including JICA, Nippon Koei, CTI Engineering, and Oriental Consultants Global. These discussions highlighted the importance of long-term development planning and the need for Ghana to adopt a similar approach.

According to Dr. Bawumia, Japan's approach to development planning involves building consensus around development plans and committing to their execution over long periods. He stated that "Japan takes the long view. They build consensus around a plan and then commit to executing it over 30 years." This approach has enabled Japan to implement development projects that extend beyond the tenure of individual governments.

Dr. Bawumia's proposal has been seen as a way to promote national development and stability in Ghana. By securing the commitment of all political parties to long-term national masterplans, Ghana can ensure that development programs continue beyond electoral cycles. This, in turn, can help to promote a more consistent approach to national development and reduce the disruption of critical projects following changes in political leadership.

Key points

• Dr. Bawumia proposes that all political parties in Ghana commit to long-term national masterplans for critical sectors of the economy.