The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has inaugurated a Technical Committee to review, update and finalise the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP), in a move aimed at strengthening the planning, financing and delivery of infrastructure across the country.
The four-month assignment will involve reviewing the existing GIP against current sector plans, policies, regulations, master plans and investment programmes, while updating its results framework and integrating the National Spatial Development Framework.
Delivering the opening remarks, Chairman of the NDPC, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, said the updated plan must help Ghana move away from a “stop-and-go approach” to national development.
“It’s important that we move away from this stop-and-go approach to national development and have a more consistent, predictable, and transparent approach,” he said.
Dr Thompson said the GIP would provide direction for infrastructure development while establishing a governance framework to ensure that infrastructure is procured and delivered effectively, efficiently and transparently.
He identified energy, water, transport, including logistics, and digital infrastructure as critical areas, while stressing the need for stronger institutional capacity, decentralised implementation and the development of the construction sector.
The Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, outlined the committee’s terms of reference, which include reviewing the GIP against current sector infrastructure plans, policies and master plans; updating the National Spatial Development Framework and integrating it into the GIP; consulting relevant stakeholders; and updating the plan’s results framework, indicators and milestones.
The committee is also expected to propose institutional arrangements for implementation at national and district levels and identify financing options, including infrastructure bonds, government revenue and public-private partnerships.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Mr Daniel Amofa, Convenor of the Committee and Chief Analyst at the NDPC, expressed appreciation for the confidence placed in its members and pledged their commitment to the assignment.
