Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo Marfo has said he does not believe in any development plan that exceeds 10 years, hence the 40-year National Development Plan proposed by the previous government was wrong.
According to him, exigencies of world economics do not support an idea of putting in a long term development plan that goes beyond 10 years, further stating that advanced economies no longer talk about long term plans that go beyond 10 years.
Speaking during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday January 20, he said: “I was involved in the discussion of the 40-yr development plan; in fact I was consulted and I made my views clear from day one that I did not believe in any plan in excess of 10 years because of exigencies of world economics and, therefore, I will prefer that we restrict ourselves to a 10-year development plan.
“Dr Nii Moi Thompson (Chair of the National Development Planning Commission) called me a couple of times to talk about this and I gave some specific notes of my mine particularly in the infrastructure side, but I haven’t seen the final outcome of the development plan although I have had some inputs into it relating to the blood of this system, which is power or energy.
They met a whole caucus in the NPP headquarters and I made my input clear [about] the 40-year development plan. The vice president (Dr Bawumia) and myself expressed our views on the length of time. Now that we (NPP) are in power we are really going to look at that programme, but as I said I made my view clearly that I did not believe in any plan beyond 10 years and I still stand by it.
“We will look at the 40-year development plan because it is important that every country has a plan particular in respect to infrastructure and where there is modification we will make it after thinking through. When you talk about planning in Germany, nobody talks about more than 10yrs.”
Source: Classfmonline
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A NATION CAN HAVE A 40YEAR VISION WHICH MAY BE STRUCTURED INTO SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM PLANS. HOWEVER THESE PLANS MUST ACHIEVE SET TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES WITHIN SPECIFIC TIME FRAMES. MEETING THESE DEPENDS ON GOVERNMENTAL STRATEGIES WITHIN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. OSAFO MARFO IS ON POINT.
I agree with Koliko and will even go further. For example, if the incumbent has a 40year plan. He loses after 4 years to my govt and my team and ideas. I can do that and more in my 4 years. Do you seriously think that i will follow the outdated plans? Additionally, do you think that you know the state of affairs 10years from now? Let alone 40 years? There is no way you will follow Nkrumah or Busia's plans today! Every govt has its own plans so please restrict your development plans to your term. Otherwise you are wasting our money by developing plans for other people who will not follow it.
Koliko, I don't completely agree with you. There are some projects that transcend regimes. Infrastructure for instance. If regimes should only set their D PLANS and have succeeding regimes abrogate such plans then we would be going nowhere as a people in terms of development. Good projects must be sustained and even improved. I side with Mr. Osafo Marfo on the grounds that, the global economy is too dynamic to tie yours down over such a very long period. No. you surely will be left behind. Yes, somebody may say you can review with time. That is true but even in fiscal plans, that is annual budgets, there are reviews. That is why we have supplementary budgets and approvals. So why don't we make ours to span at most 10 years, which I think is reasonable and do those reviews when necessary. By that, our priorities will be current needs which will launch us well prepared into the future. We must admit, whoever looks too far into the future will at a point develop a blurred vision of some sort. We need to be smart and realistic.
But Koliko, I I did not hear you condemning NDC when they were trumpeting the 40 year development plan. it is good now that you seeing wisdom in Osafo Marfo's argument. We thank God.
Not only bad, it does not make sense. The development plan is set by the govt in power. So how can that govt 'tie' future govt with its ideas of development? The future govt also have people with their own plans for development so it is fuuuuuuuulish for an existing govt to plan beyond its term. It is very very fooooooooooooolish!