Ghana: NDPC chairman calls for structural transformation as Ghana advances New Economy Plan

The Chairman of Ghana’s National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, has called for the government’s New Economy Plan to translate recent macroeconomic stability into sustained structural transformation, higher productivity, job creation and improved livelihoods.

Thompson made the call during an engagement between the NDPC and the Ministry of Finance on the New Economy Plan, as part of consultations being led by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, ahead of the presentation of the 2027 Budget to Parliament in November this year.

NDPC highlights need for structural reforms

Thompson said the New Economy Plan provides an opportunity to address longstanding structural constraints that have limited Ghana’s development, including low productivity, infrastructure gaps and inadequate economic diversification.

He stressed that the next phase of economic management should move beyond stabilisation and focus on building a more productive and resilient economy capable of generating jobs and creating sustainable prosperity.

According to him, macroeconomic stability should provide a foundation for deeper reforms that can strengthen the productive capacity of the economy and improve living standards.

Thompson also highlighted the role of the Consolidated National Development Plan being developed by the NDPC in providing a long-term strategic framework for sustaining Ghana’s development gains.

The plan is expected to promote continuity in national development planning and support the country’s transformation beyond electoral cycles.

Government outlines New Economy Plan priorities

For his part, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson outlined the government’s vision for the New Economy Plan, which seeks to move Ghana beyond economic stabilisation towards increased production, job creation, wealth generation and sustainable economic growth.

Forson indicated that the NDPC would play an important role in monitoring progress and assessing the implementation of the programme to ensure that government interventions produce measurable development outcomes.

The involvement of the planning commission is expected to strengthen the link between policy implementation and long-term national development objectives, while providing a framework for tracking whether programmes are delivering their intended impact.

NDPC promotes new values and productivity

The Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, thanked the Minister of Finance for the engagement and highlighted the “new values, a new society” campaign incorporated into the Consolidated National Development Plan.

She noted that the initiative requires minimal national funding but is designed to support high-impact solutions to some of Ghana’s persistent challenges.

The campaign is particularly focused on areas including corruption, law and order and productivity, with respect for time identified as one of the behavioural changes needed to improve productivity and national development.

Long-term framework for Ghana’s economic transformation

The New Economy Plan is being advanced as Ghana moves from a period of macroeconomic stabilisation towards structural reforms aimed at delivering longer-term economic transformation.

The NDPC’s Consolidated National Development Plan is expected to serve as the overarching framework for maintaining continuity, consistency and measurable progress in national development planning across successive electoral cycles.

The emphasis on structural transformation reflects the government’s broader objective of ensuring that recent improvements in macroeconomic stability translate into stronger productive capacity, expanded employment opportunities and sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of Ghanaians.