The NPP manifesto launch: Possible promises

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is set to launch its Manifesto for the 2024 elections in Takoradi today.

3news.com has been perusing the vision statement delivered by the flagbearer of the party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia when he was out doored on February 7.

We have gleaned from that statement what we believe will be captured in the manifesto that will be launched today.

Please read on:

ELECTION 2024

POSSIBLE NPP MANIFESTO PROMISES

MACRO ECONOMIC STABILITY

General Objective: Sustain macroeconomic stability with low inflation, low interest rates, exchange rate stability and low budget deficits.

1. Prudently managing government expenditure, increasing revenue and leveraging the private sector
2. Amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act to add a fiscal rule that budgeted expenditure in any year does not exceed 105% of the previous tax revenue
3. Incentivize the private sector to complement the government in the provision of infrastructure and services [build roads, hostels, and houses for the government to rent or lease] achieved through PPP concession arrangements
4. New Tax system; a flat tax of an x% of income for individuals and SMEs
5. Tax amnesty.
6. Amend tax law to allow arbitration through a body.

DIGITALIZATION AND CURRUPTION REDUCTION

1. Tax digitalization – filing tax through mobile phones or computers
2. Train at least 1 million youth in IT Skills
3. Establish an Open University Ghana in collaboration with Private Sector
4. Coding and Robotics Standards in Senior High Schools
5. One laptop per student in tertiary students through a zero-interest loan with a 70% discount [payable in 4 years]
6. Work at decreasing cost of data
7. Cashless society through policies alike e-cedi etc
8. No taxes on digital payments
9. Publish online details of all public contracts for public scrutiny
10. Digitalize land titling

REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING

1. Reduce public transport between 30-40 per cent with the adoption of electric vehicles
2. Treat Public Housing in the same manner that Singapore did
3. Enhance the National Rental Assistance Scheme

POWER SECTOR REFORM

1. Diversify the generation mix by introducing 2000mw of solar power and additional wind power through independent power producers
2. Reduce the dependence on oil and gas by the end of his first term in office
3. Bring efficiency of markets and expand competition from more private sector participation in generation and retail.
4. Construction of the Pwalugu Dam by using private sector financing
5. No import duty on solar panels.

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. Formalize, regularize and regulate environmentally sustainable small-scale mining
2. Help grow small-scale mining companies into large-scale companies through financial assistance to acquire equipment.
3. License all miners doing responsible mining
4. There will be no longer the seizure or burning of excavators
5. Decentralize the Minerals Commission in all mining districts
6. Every small-scale miner to register under Ghana Small scale miners with their Ghana Card
7. Work with large mining companies to convert abandoned shafts into community mining schemes.
8. Open more new community mining schemes
9. District mining committees to be responsible for reclamation and replanting
10. Create Pension scheme for small-scale miners like that of Cocoa farmers
11. Provide equipment to government authorities in mining communities to understand reclamation
12. Common user gold processing units in mining districts in collaboration with the private sector
13. Government to audit all concessions with various licences and new applications
14. Abolish the VAT on exploration services
15. Establish a Minerals Development Bank
16. Establish a London Bullion Market Association-certified gold refinery in Ghana within four years
17. Gold from small-scale miners to be sold to the Central Bank, PMMC, MIIF.
18. Gold to be refined before export.

 CEDI FORTIFICATION THROUGH STRATEGIC GOLD RESERVE MANAGEMENT

1. Bank of Ghana to start a Gold Purchase Program
2. Explore the 7 gold belts of Ghana
3. Areas in Ghana proven to have gold reserves from mapping of geological survey departments and universities would be 100 per cent Ghanaian-owned.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY FOR JOBS

1. Create Special Economic Zone [Free Zones] in major border towns such as Aflao, Paga, Elubo, Sankasi and Tatale
2. Tema port will be fully automated and benchmarked to be efficient like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai
3. Align duties and charges at Tema port to the duties and charges at Lome Port
4. Spare parts import duties will be a flat rate per container

 TOURISM, SPORTS AND CREATIVE ARTS

1. Build on the year of return, beyond the return and December in Ghana
2. Introduce a digital and streaming platform for artists
3. Tax incentives for film producers and musicians
4. An e-visa policy for all international visitors to Ghana
5. Creation of incentives for corporate sponsorship of financing sports development
6. Establish the Ghana School Sports Secretariat
7. School-level collaboration with international sports bodies like the NBA and NFL.

CARE FOR THE VULNERABLE AND SPECIAL NEEDS

1. Recruit 1,000 special education teachers and retrain teachers
2. Train speech and language therapists and occupational and behavioral therapists.

AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT

1. Application of technology and irrigation to commercial large-scale farming
2. Use of agricultural lime to reduce the acidity of soils, enhance soil fertility and get more yield from fertilizer application
3. Improve the participation of Ghanaian industries in intra-Africa export and trade as AfCFTA strategy

 GOVERNANCE AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

1. Amend Article 87 of the 1992 Constitioon
2. Amend the NDPC Act (Act 479)
3. Amend the 1992 Constitution to address issues such as ex-gratia, right of dual citizens, elections of MMDCEs

 ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES

1. Ghana Card holders to pay a fee to acquire a passport and not apply separately
2. Full implementation of the Affirmative Action Act
3. Free SHS to continue
4. Expand infrastructure at medical schools
5. Expand infrastructure at Ghana Law School

Read full vision statement below:

Full Text: Speech by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at UPSA auditorium