Full Text: Bawumia’s speech at NPP manifesto launch

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NPP 2024 MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH BY MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA

National, Regional, Constituency and Polling Station Executives

Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

I extend a warm welcome to you all. I stand here filled with a lot of emotion, humility and nostalgia. Sixteen years ago, right here in this beautiful city of Sekondi-Takoradi, I was outdoored to the good people of Ghana as the running mate to the visionary leader, then Flagbearer and leader of the New Patriotic Party, His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo. Today, I am privileged to return to Takoradi this time (against all the odds) as the Presidential Candidate of the NPP to launch the 2024 Manifesto of the party. With God, It is possible!

In exactly 111 days from today, over 18 million Ghanaians will have the opportunity to decide on a new leader and Parliamentarians to govern the affairs of state over the next four years. Fellow Kukrudites, the race is on and I know and you know and they know that the momentum is on our side! I have witnessed first-hand, the commitment, enthusiasm and determination of the rank and file of our Party, the great New Patriotic Party, to break the eight and usher in life-transforming ideas that will deliver broad-based prosperity to all Ghanaians. From my Possibilities Tour, I came across hope, expectations, and the belief that it is possible to transform Ghana and create a sense of pride in the Ghanaian. Our tradition, the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, has not only been the vanguard of the rule of law and governance but also pacesetters and drivers of life-changing policies and interventions.
Let me first thank Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Chair of the Manifesto Committee, the Co-Chairs and all members of the Manifesto team for putting together this wonderful document. I am very grateful for their dedication.

Let me also thank all the earlier presenters for highlighting the major achievements of our government under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

We have taken some time to highlight these achievements because track record is a significant predictor of capability and the potential to do more. We have catalogued them because, in the NPP we view these as our obligation to the people from whom we draw our mandate. We have enumerated them because they communicate our ability to respond to the numerous needs of different sections of our society.

Indeed, we have listed them to show that we remain committed to fulfilling the social contract we have with the good people of Ghana. Above all, this exercise confirms that hundreds of pledges have been made to the Ghanaian people, and broadly, they have been kept, and given the opportunity, more impactful and forward looking interventions will be implemented to move Ghana to the next level of the development journey; a journey that will build on our successes to open opportunities for all.

We promised change and we have made significant progress. Mr. President, history will be kind to you and you shall be remembered for your unprecedented achievements and the millions of lives you have touched. We are eternally grateful.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if there was any doubt, I believe it is crystal clear from the data-backed account we have given that our overall performance and track record are superior to that of my opponent and his party in virtually every sector! But, I believe as a former president and a proud student of history, he knows that and that is one part of the reason why he is avoiding a debate. The other part, of course, is about the courage and confidence to put what he intends to do differently this time around with the power he seeks, side by side to the vision I have for Ghana and the clear roadmap to getting the work done. That is the choice we are presenting to , you, the Ghanaian voter on December 7.

Notwithstanding our superior performance however, there remains the fact that between 2020 and 2022, we experienced severe challenges, triggered by the pandemic which brought the world and our country to a thundering halt. The world experienced the greatest economic depression since the 1930s, with most countries recording negative GDP growth. Supply chain disruptions and the rising price of oil resulted in major increases in the prices of fuel, freight, and food across the globe. Indeed, Ghanaians were hit very hard by rising food prices, increased exchange rate depreciation, rising fuel prices, and rising transport fares.

Our debt became unsustainable and had to be restructured. Bondholders saw a sharp decline in their net worth following the painful yet unavoidable debt restructuring program. We faced very challenging times. But with calm leadership and the support and understanding of the good people of Ghana, we have weathered the worst of the storm and the economy is firmly on a path of recovery, with increasing GDP growth and declining inflation. It is gratifying to note that our policy interventions have started yielding the desired macroeconomic results.

Many economists and analysts have rightly stated that Ghana has turned the corner but we know that for many families, the cost of living is still very high. The hardship is real and we commit to doing more to relieve the difficulties Ghanaians are facing. We are equally committed to creating more job opportunities that will significantly reduce youth unemployment among a national population that has increased over 5 million in the last 8 years alone. We have so far created 2.3 million jobs – the most of any government in this Fourth Republic, but youth unemployment remains a major problem that confronts us and we are committed to doing even more. This is why it is better to continue with a party that has created more jobs than any other in the Fourth Republic than go back to a party and a leader who, after four years of dumsor, created more unemployment than any other government in the Fourth Republic.

Ghana needs bold solutions to deal with the challenges we face and that is what I am offering in asking for the mandate of Ghanaians. This Manifesto lays out our comprehensive plan to take Ghana to the next level of growth and prosperity, under a selfless leader with bold solutions for jobs and business.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate every Ghanaian, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people, irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficient, safe, prosperous, and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all, and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data.

To realize this vision:

A MINDSET OF POSSIBILITIES

We must collectively have a mindset of possibilities and not impossibilities. There is a critical failure of mindset that manifests itself in the absence of core values, patriotism and principles within our society. We need to invigorate the can-do spirit of the Ghanaian to believe that we can even do better than we ever imagined if we put our minds to it. For example, our students from Mamfe Girls and Prempeh College have won international robotic competitions against their peers in the US, Germany and South Korea. Dr. Angela Tabiri from Ashaiman, was recently crowned “The World’s Most Interesting Mathematician” after a global competition with some of the best mathematicians in the world. This mindset of possibilities must be inculcated in our children from home and in school. This is why we are going to introduce a growth mindset curriculum to help students build critical skills such us problem solving, risk taking, opportunity spotting and design thinking.

SUSTAIN AND EXPAND GHANA’S REBOUNDING ECONOMY

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have experienced a major economic crisis and with your support, weathered the storm. But we are not yet where we want to be. It is, therefore, very important to protect and expand our rebounding economy to attain and sustain macroeconomic stability with low inflation, low interest rates, exchange rate stability and low budget deficits. Fiscal Discipline and private sector empowerment will be key to realising our commitment to job and wealth creation.

To sustainably reduce the budget deficit and interest rates, my government will enhance fiscal discipline through an independent fiscal responsibility council enshrined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982). The Fiscal responsibility Act will also be amended to add a fiscal rule that requires that budgeted expenditure in any year does not exceed 105% of the previous year’s tax revenue. This will prevent the experience of budgetary expenditures based on optimistic revenue forecasts which do not materialize.

Furthermore, my government will reduce the fiscal burden on government by empowering the private sector to do more. Fundamental to building any modern, prosperous society is ensuring that access to education and health is available to all and that there is a safety net for the most vulnerable. Under the two-term administration of His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, I can say without any fear of contradiction that no past leader did more to uplift the poor and vulnerable in society than my boss. We put in place new ones and expanded existing social policies and programmes for the masses across Ghana, like free SHS, Free TVET, Agenda 111, expanding school feeding, NHIS care for childhood cancer, sickle cell and kidney dialysis etc.

I pledge to you that my government will protect and deepen all these programmes that several millions of you depend on. From all my interactions with the people, the three top major concerns of Ghanaians are (1) the Cost of Living (2) Unemployment and (3) Roads. The 2024 Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party prioritises what you the Ghanaian people say are your priorities. This manifesto lays out a clear path of how we plan to solve these major problems, among others. That is why my government will make business and jobs our number one priority.

True to our philosophy, I believe, the private sector has the capacity to provide jobs and create wealth for society. My administration will, therefore, incentivise and empower the private sector to do more in complementing government in the provision and management of many infrastructures and other public services. This can reduce government expenditure, increase efficiency and accountability, create competition and improve maintenance. Yes, we have built more roads than any government in the Fourth Republic. But we still have a lot more to do. In the last 8 years we have been deliberate in empowering Ghanaian contractors to undertake many of the major infrastructural projects that would otherwise have gone to foreign contractors.

My policies will encourage the private sector to take greater responsibility in the provision and management of critical infrastructures, including building hostels, housing and schools for government to rent or lease to own. The demand for roads construction is massive and this has historically placed a huge burden on the budget. I will make it attractive for the private sector to also finance the construction, management and maintenance of roads through PPP concessions. Also, I want to change our procurement culture drastically to tackle waste and corruption.

My government will move towards leasing rather than outright purchase of goods such as vehicles, printing equipment, etc. The private sector will have the responsibility for maintaining the equipment. With this approach, the budget can save very significant outright cash expenditure annually from various items across different Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This policy will energise the private sector to invest in their expansion and create many more jobs.

Enhancing the role of the private sector along with fiscal and administrative decentralization, improving our systems and the way our institutions function will lead to greater efficiency, cutting waste and ensuring value for money in procurement. The move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP annually (GH¢30 billion). This represents a major paradigm shift. Additionally, an efficient system of governance will require even fewer ministers. Therefore, I would have no more than 50 ministers.

IMPLEMENT A NEW TAX SYSTEM

To increase government tax revenue, we have to reform and refocus the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) towards broadening the tax base. Estimates suggest revenues amounting to 13% of GDP (or some GH¢150billion in 2023) are not collected because people are outside the tax net. Many individuals and businesses find our tax system cumbersome and confusing. We want a tax regime that is easy to understand, easy to comply with, easy to enforce, softer on the taxpayer and that is not subject to so much discretion.

The next NPP government will introduce a very simple, citizen and business friendly flat tax regime. A flat tax of a percentage of income for individuals and businesses with appropriate exemption thresholds set to protect the poor. With the new tax regime, the tax return should be able to be completed in minutes! We will also simplify our complicated corporate tax system and VAT regime.

We will reform the Value Added Tax regime by merging all levies into a single line-item levy and treat the merged levy as part of input and output VAT, to eliminate the cascading effect in the current regime

To start the new tax system on a clean slate, my government will provide a tax amnesty (i.e. a complete exemption from the payment of taxes due and the waiving of associated interest and penalties up to a certain year to individuals and businesses for failures to file taxes in previous years so that everyone will start afresh. In return, my government will expect the beneficiaries of this most significant gesture to invest such savings directly into creating jobs and expanding their businesses. Our ultimate goal is to move Ghana to a lower tax regime with broader coverage to stimulate greater economic activity and generate more revenue to the state.

For this to succeed, tax digitalization will be implemented across all aspects of tax administration. Everyone will be required to file a very simple tax return electronically through their mobile phone or computer. There will be no manual or paper filing of taxes. Faceless assessments will provide transparency and accountability. There will be no need for GRA to send officers to go sit in shops. E-invoicing, as being implemented by the GRA will be extended to all companies.

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS

My government will be for business because, true to our philoisophy, I believe the business of government is to empower business to deliver prosperity for society. We will, therefore, support the growth of businesses by the following policies:

o incentivise Ghanaian start-ups in selected, strategic sectors with Investment Tax Credits (ITC) for the first three (3) years of their operations

o A flat rate system of duties for all importers; bringing predictability and stability on prices of imported goods.

o harmonise port charges to align with charges in competing regional ports, particularly Togo. Duties at our ports will be same or lower.

o use Government’s purchasing power to stimulate industrial expansion and business growth. This will help create jobs, by rolling out a “Buy Ghana First” policy under which all goods and services procured by the public sector will first be filled by goods and services produced locally.

o Implement a shift in electricity tariffs structure to a regime in which commercial rates are either equal to, or lower than residential rates, never higher, to power industries and businesses

o establish an SME Bank to meet the special financing needs of small and medium businesses, which employ over 80% of Ghanaians

o complete the digitalisation of land titling and registration to allow owners of landed properties to use their properties as collateral to raise capital for business growth and expansion

o create Special Economic Zones ( Free Zones) in collaboration with the private sector at Ghana’s major border towns such as Aflao, Paga, and Elubo, to enhance economic activity, increase exports, reduce smuggling and create jobs.

REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING

Ladies and Gentlemen, another major priority of my government will be to reduce the cost of living. The world is facing what is commonly referred to as the “global cost of living crisis.” Even though inflation has dropped by half this year, prices still remain high. I want a Ghana where we attain food security through the application of technology and irrigation to commercial large scale farming. We will also promote the use of agricultural lime to reduce the acidity of our soils, enhance soil fertility and get more yield from the application of fertilizers. Ghana has an abundance of limestone to do this. I will prioritise the construction of the Pwalugu Dam by using private sector financing to crowd-in grant financing.

We will ensure food security by stabilising the prices of foods produced locally (through financing and guarantees from the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) and the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL). This will mainly involve:

upscaling the production of staple foods

investing in the preservation of staple foods, meat, poultry and fish products, and

establishing agricultural enclaves which will have irrigation, processing and storage facilities in each region for crops or grains in which the regions have a comparative advantage.

We will reduce the cost of public transportation by:

promoting and supporting Electric Vehicles (EV) public for transportation

expanding the Gold-For-Oil Programme (G4O) to continue stabilising the price of fuel

Stabilising the prices of spare parts through the “Flat Rate Duties for all importers” policy which will bring predictability and stability on prices of imported goods.

Making your Driver’s license valid for 10 years and extending the renewal period to 5 years.

Under a Housing for All policy, I will also have a major focus on the provision of Public Housing in the same manner that Singapore did. We will partner with the private sector to build large housing estates without the government having to borrow or spend. Also, the National Rental Assistance Scheme (which is working so well) will be enhanced to deal with the problem of demands for rent advance of two years and more.

We will ensure a variety of accommodation types to meet different pockets and needs as follows:

Social Housing: including homeless shelters (overnight stay for the vulnerable) and an expanded Rental Assistance Scheme for low-income workers

Affordable Housing: including District Housing projects through incentives to the private real estate industry, as well as expanding the services of the revived State Housing Company (SHC) and TDC, and National Homeownership Fund (NHF), and

Improving Housing Finance: through an expansion of the mortgage lending market, as well as rent-to-own schemes

We will use a variety of ways to deliver access to the various types of accommodation. For example, for Social Housing, we will provide public lands within our main cities to private developers, and, in order to benefit, make it mandatory for them to “set aside” between 20% to 30% for low-income social housing units with subsidised rents

− significantly improving the availability and affordability of power by bringing on board 2,000 MW of solar power, and incentivising users by buying excess power they generate from solar systems and paying with “free electricity” from the national grid when they need power (through net metering)

− continue to make accessing services easier. Once you have a Ghanacard, all public and private organisations will not be required to collect your basic data.

BUILD A WORLD CLASS DIGITAL ECONOMY TO SUPPORT JOB CREATION

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to build a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want us to apply digital technology, STEM, robotics and artificial intelligence for the transformation of agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, fintech and public service delivery. As part of this process it is my goal to eliminate the digital divide by achieving over 90% internet penetration. We have already made very significant progress in this direction by increasing internet penetration from 34% in 2016 to some 70% in 2023. The task in the next four years is to move from 70% to over 90% as exists in the advanced countries. It is possible!

I am determined to not let Ghana miss out on the Fourth Industrial Revolution as our continent did on the Industrial Revolution some centuries back. I want to see Ghana build the digital talent we require for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This will mean providing digital and software skills to hundreds of thousands of youth. This along with other policies, will create jobs for the youth, including school dropouts. In collaboration with the private sector, we will train at least one million (1,000,000) youth in IT skills, including software developers to provide job opportunities worldwide.

Generally, there will be an enhanced focus on TVET education. My government will also support the establishment of a National Open University Ghana in collaboration with the private sector with a focus on ICT, TVET and STEM.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to prepare our children for the Fourth Industrial Revolution workplace, I will enhance the positioning of the education system towards STEM, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and vocational skills to cope with the demands of the fourth Industrial Revolution and job creation. My government will make coding and robotics standard in Senior High School.

Furthermore, to become a digital hub in Africa, Ghana’s telecoms industry needs more investment. The cost of data for the ordinary Ghanaian has become too expensive. It goes against the very ethos of our digitalization journey. We commit to working actively with industry players in setting clear policy guidelines that will remove any investor uncertainty and difficulties in business planning, including the expeditious allocation of spectrum, driven more by the goal of enhancing digital inclusion.

In addition we would be:

− working with educational institutions and leading Ghanaian and global tech firms to establish a National Robotics, Engineering, and AI Lab for research and training of young Ghanaians locally

− providing venture funding and grant support for commercially viable tech projects by Ghanaian start-ups to drive innovation, foster high-tech entrepreneurship, create jobs, and support growth of Ghanaian high-tech businesses

− providing “live lab” opportunities to Ghanaian tech start-ups under a Matchmaking Programme, by purposely connecting them to matured/large tech firms working on government tech projects, to help start-ups test their ideas in real-world environments, and to accelerate their product development cycle.

− working with the Bank of Ghana to significantly expand our Regulatory Sandbox to admit more Ghanaian Fintechs as well as regional Fintechs. This will position Ghana as a Multi-Regulatory/Multi-Jurisdictional Sandbox for financial and payments interoperability.

− establishing a Fintech Fund with seed capital of US$100 Million to attract additional private sector funding to support Ghanaian start-ups developing payments and financial services solutions, specially focused on Region-wide, exportable solutions

− implementing a Digital Residency (e-Residency) for businesses and individuals in tech firms, to register and operate from within Ghana

− implementing a 5-Year Digital Nomad Visa and Work Permit to attract global tech talents to domicile and work from Ghana

− appointing a Digital Ambassador whose role will be to develop new external markets for Ghanaian digital talents and products, and facilitate the export of same.

− implementing comprehensive data interoperability across government platforms to enhance transparency and streamline services

Pushing further Ghana’s leadership role in achieving cross-border mobile money interoperability, among other payment systems, within the AfCFTA, to enhance buying and selling within Africa’s 1.4 billion consumer market

− creating a marketplace to streamline public sector procurement

− abolishing E-Levy

− ensuring that holders of the Ghana Card will not be required to fill a separate form to apply for a passport

− working with industry players to make more spectrum available to operators at affordable prices including 5G, and

− eliminating import duties on mobile phones until manufacturing capacity is established in Ghana to enable many Ghanaians affordably access mobile devices.

A GOLDEN AGE FOR THE MAXIMIZATION OF THE BENEFITS FROM NATURAL RESOURCES

Ladies and Gentlemen, as President, the next NPP government will usher Ghana into a Golden age for the maximization of the benefits from our natural resources like gold, lithium, bauxite, and so on. The key to doing this is value addition and Ghanaian ownership. As we have started with lithium, we need a new paradigm in natural resource contracts that sees more of the benefit accruing to Ghana.

Some of the key policies we will implement to maximize our benefits from our natural resources will include:

Formalize, regularize and regulate environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. Our goal would be to help grow small scale mining companies into large scale companies with capacity building and assisting them to access financing to acquire equipment.

In line with this, we will license all miners doing responsible mining. District Mining Committees (including chiefs) will provide initial temporary licenses to miners.

Every Ghanaian in Small Scale Miner will register under Ghana Small Scale Miners Association with their Ghanacard

We will, in collaboration with the large mining companies, convert abandoned shafts into community mining schemes

Open more new community mining schemes

District mining committees would be responsible for reclamation and replanting

We will set up state of the art common user gold processing units in mining districts in collaboration with the private sector

We will also conduct an audit of all concessions with various licenses and new applications. This will allow government to know licenses that have expired, and non-compliance with licensing conditions

My government will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry

My government will reduce the minerals export tax to 1% to discourage gold smuggling,

We will establish (through the private sector) a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) certified gold refinery in Ghana within the next four years

Following the establishment of an LBMA certified refinery, all responsibly mined small scale gold produced will be sold to the central bank, PMMC or MIIF

We will make available proven reserves data from the Geological Survey Authority to small-scale miners to help deal with the associated problem of trial-and-error digging for gold

Adequately resource the Geological Survey Authority

scaling-up the use of the mercury-free gold catcher machine technology which is less damaging to our environment.

STABILIZING THE CEDI THROUGH THE GOLD PURCHASE PROGRAM

Ladies and Gentlemen, recognising the need to transform the structure of the Ghanaian economy from merely being an exporter of raw materials and importer of finished products to producing what we consume and adding value to our raw materials and farm produce, the Akufo-Addo-led government set out in 2017 to find solutions by introducing transformational policies such as 1D1F. While industrialisation remains the long-term solution for macroeconomic stability and shared prosperity for Ghanaians, the vulnerabilities in the structure of the Ghanaian economy remain and were heavily exposed by the global crisis of 2020-2022.

That crisis hit us really hard, but you may wonder why, unlike previous times when the cedi faced severe pressure, this time we never once experienced queues at our fuel filling stations (as we saw as recently as in 2015). Let me tell you a short story on that. I approached my boss and suggested a novel way as a solution to the shortage of foreign exchange. I proposed that we leverage on the gold we produce directly in exchange for the essential goods we import. He gave me the go-ahead to pilot with the one critical import, petroleum products, the shortage of which would have completely derailed our economy.

44. I am happy to say that the two policies that helped rescue the economy from catastrophe in the recent crisis were the Bank of Ghana’s domestic gold purchase program and the Gold For Oil (G4O) program. The pilot has worked for a number of companies, some of which wanted to forex to repatriate profits. We have, thus, found a solution to profit reparation problem without destabilising our local currency. This also brings major comfort to foreign investors operating in our country. I believe from the success of the pilot scheme, we can confidently say that we have found a solution to the age-old foreign exchange problem that successive governments have struggled to contain, and which invariably led to inflation and other macro-economic challenges.

My government will completely institutionalize what I will call Gold-for-Forex program even as we intensify efforts to transform the structure of the Ghanaian economy. Simply put, the domestic gold purchase program (DGPP) is a policy which allows the Bank of Ghana to boost its foreign exchange reserves by buying locally produced gold with cedis. Gold purchases from this program alone have amounted to $5 billion in the last couple of years. With Ghana’s unexplored gold reserves estimated at 5 billion ounces (and a market value today of $10 trillion dollars), my government will ramp up the gold purchase program to cover all major forex demands. Put simply, if for example a company wants dollars, we will take their cedis, buy gold, and give them dollars. In this situation demand equals supply. The gold purchase program will, therefore, provide the anchor that our local currency has always lacked.

DEVELOPING A CREDIT SYSTEM FOR GHANA

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to build a credit system for Ghana. In advanced economies, workers are able to easily access credit to purchase items such as televisions, cars, mobile phones and houses. They are able to do so because the credit system works and it is supported by individualized credit scoring by credit rating agencies. In the advanced countries people are able to obtain mobile phones for free under contract arrangements with phone companies for example based on their credit scores. But people with impossibility mindsets don’t understand that these things are possible!

In Ghana, such a credit system is yet to develop and therefore life is harder for workers. It is our goal to make it easier and cheaper to access credit by leveraging on our data and systems such as Ghanacard, GhanapostGPS, Mobile money Interoperability, Momo Accounts, DVLA, GRA, Bank Accounts, etc. to build an efficient credit system and mortgage market in Ghana underpinned by individualized credit scoring and the digitalization of land titling and transfer. We look forward to starting individualized credit scoring in Ghana this year and this will make it easier for Ghanaians to access credit at lower interest rates. My promise to you is that soon, you in Ghana will no longer have to save before buying what you need.

EXPAND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

In the area of public infrastructure, we will:

− to reiterate, partner the private sector to finance, build, and rent or lease-to-own to government, public infrastructure, including school, housing, water, and roads, as well as equipment

− revive and resource, including modern equipment and state-of-the-art workshops, the Public Works Department (PWD) to be the primary government agency responsible for maintenance of public infrastructure across the country

− fully-implement and expand the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), under which local governments have been supplied with equipment, to help maintain roads in their Districts

− through partnerships with private sector investors, develop the railway network across the country based on the Master Plan, with strategic focus on the Western and Eastern Lines in the medium term. The two lines, which are of high economic importance, will be prioritised for development and completion

− facilitate the establishment, by the private sector, of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Tamale Airport, to develop it into an aviation cargo, horticultural cargo, and logistics hub

− commence the development of the Cape Coast Airport for which funding has been secured under the Korean $2 billion facility, which will serve both the Central and Western Regions, and

− in collaboration with private sector, build an airport in the Upper East Region

− achieve universal access to Electricity

PROVIDE BETTER HEALTHCARE FOR ALL

In the area of healthcare, we will,

− complete all Agenda 111 hospitals. This ensures every District gets a District Hospital.

− recruit more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, with improved conditions of service

− bring healthcare services to your doorstep by:

completing the digitisation of public healthcare institutions under E-health project

scaling up telmedicine services

establishing two additional sites, in addition to the existing 6, at Funsi and Kintampo, to enhance drone delivery services and to ensure total nationwide coverage, and

ensuring the interoperability of the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP) with public and private healthcare facilities

− offer incentives for healthcare workers to buy one vehicle each with engine capacity of up to 1,800cc

− ensure compliance with the existing deprived area incentive package for health workers

IMPLEMENT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

In the area of affirmative action for women and girls we will,

− implement in full the Affirmative Action Act we recently passed

− establish a Women’s Trade Empowerment Fund (WoTEF) to support women-owned businesses

− ensure gender parity in award of government scholarships

− further improve the maternal health care programme

− pursue a “Women in Diplomacy” programme for Ghanaian women to take more leadership roles in international organisations, and

− promote and protect women’s rights in the workplace by:

ensuring that existing sexual harassment laws are strictly enforced

enabling mothers to seamlessly re-enter the workforce by prioritising, in partnership with the private sector, the establishment of daycare centres near workplaces, including marketplaces

enforcing existing regulations on maternity leave governance, and

EXPAND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

In the area of education, we will:

− increase the stock of student accommodation in our public universities and other public tertiary institutions to address the housing deficit on our campuses, and make them affordable

− introduce a Free Tertiary Education Scholarship for PWDs, to remove financial barriers to pursuing educational goals

− on scholarships:

integrate scholarship databases across all the public sector institutions managing such schemes, to ensure full visibility

expand eligibility for the Student Loan Scheme to include all post-secondary students, including certificate and diploma programmes, and

prioritise and direct a significant proportion of national scholarship schemes towards training and skills development in STEM as well as other needed skills.

− implement in full the Centralised Applications Processing Service (CAPS) for tertiary institutions: “You apply once, and pay once”

− establish an Open University

− those who, after completion of their tertiary education, have secured jobs would be exempted from national service

− Protect and Enhance the free SHS/TVET, which is truly transforming lives and changing life outcomes for millions:

since we started free SHS/TVET, enrolment has increased by 83%. We are building the foundation for a well-educated, prosperous society

with free SHS/TVET, we have achieved gender parity. More girls are getting secondary education, and the impact will be positive for society
we will recruit more teachers at all levels, with improved conditions of service, and

we will continue to develop additional infrastructure for our educational institutions to meet the increased numbers

offer incentives for teachers to buy one vehicle each with engine capacity of up to 1,800 cubic centimetres (cc)

PROVIDE GOOD GOVERNANCE

In the area of governance, we will:

− to reiterate, we will cap the number of ministers at 50

− reinitiate the Process of getting MMDCEs elected through a universal adult suffrage to deepen decentralisation and effective Local Governance.

− delink the creation of Districts from Constituencies to bring to an end the automatic increases in the size of Parliament

− Institute an Electoral Area Share of the Common Fund (EASCF) for Assembly Members to facilitate development at the Electoral Area levels

− engage Parliament and other stakeholders including political parties to review the 1992 Constitution to achieve effective national development

− provide a value-based leadership, predicated on values such as selflessness, excellence, ethics, justice, integrity, transparency, diligence, and accountability

− in pursuit of value-based Leadership and responsible citizenship, formalise the relationship between the State, Chiefs, FBOs, and CSOs, and redefine and elevate their place and role in the national governance structure. We will formally designate FBOs as “development partners” who are entitled to similar incentives.

− review Section 63 of the Chieftaincy Act to empower Chiefs to strengthen local governance

− pay living allowances to Paramount Chiefs, Divisional Chiefs, and Queen Mothers

− to encourage the registration of lands; all stool lands will be registered without initial fee payment. Payment will only be due when the land is sold, and

− protect Ghanaian cultural and family values.

DEALING WITH CORRUPTION THROUGH DIGITALIZATION AND A CASHLESS SOCIETY

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All governments have struggled with the canker of corruption in our society. People have been killed for corruption, and people have been jailed for corruption but yet it persists. My view is that corruption operates in darkness and we need to deal with it through enhanced transparency. Our approach so far has been to deal with corruption after it occurs. My approach is to deal with corruption before it occurs. Digitalization is a key vehicle. The Ghanacard has enabled us basically eliminate ghost workers from the CAGD payroll, SSNIT payroll and National service payroll. . One of the most potent weapons against corruption is transparency.

Many corrupt activities are cash-based. Apart from the obvious economic benefits of moving in the direction of a cashless society, the literature does indicate that the more electronic payments are used in transactions as opposed to cash, the more there is traceability and therefore the less the corruption. I would like to bring Ghana close to a cashless economy in the shortest possible time. So far, the Bank of Ghana, has made a lot of progress in this direction by putting in place a lot of the systems and infrastructure required. These include mobile money interoperability, merchant interoperability, Universal QRCode payment system, Gh-Link, debit cards, Ezwich, and GhanaPay. We have put in place the necessary infrastructure for Ghana to go cashless.

Recently the Bank of Ghana has completed a pilot of a digital version of the Ghana cedi in Sefwi Wiawso. This is known as central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e-cedi. The e-cedi is designed to work online and offline and will be launched by the Bank of Ghana in due course. The e-cedi, will be the ultimate weapon in our fight against corruption because it will provide transparency, reduce the risk of fraud, robbery, tax avoidance, and money laundering since it will be easy to track the movement of money and identify suspicious activity. The e-cedi will quicken the pace of Ghana’s move towards a cashless or near cashless society.

We will also implement blockchain technology and smart contracts for secure data exchange and transparent e-government services. Employing a distributed ledger technology improves transparency and efficiency. This will make all government transactions permanently traceable and not subject to alteration. I want Ghana to be the first country in Africa and one of very few in the world to do this.

CARE FOR THE ELDERLY

In the area of care for the elderly, we will:

− pass an Ageing Act for the care and protection of the elderly

− promote geriatric care training programmes to address the growing need for elder care

− implement policies on the establishment of homecare, nursing homes and rehabilitation services, including assisted living and old-age community living, and

− create elder-specific social assistance schemes to cover those not presently covered under existing programmes such as LEAP

PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

In the area of protecting the environment we will:

− enhance the protection of our forests and biodiversity hotspots

− restore our forests through reforestation programmes by:

targeting 30,000ha of degraded areas for reforestation and plantation development annually
establishing 1,000ha of bamboo and rattan plantations annually for watershed protection and plantation development, and

providing tree seedlings and plantain suckers in a minimum of 1000 communities to enhance the national reforestation and plantation development programme

protect and preserve our water resources by:

vigorously protecting both surface and underground sources by enforcing the provisions of the Water Use Regulations

reviewing and strengthening the Water Buffer Zone Policy for implementation

protecting transborder water sources, notably the Volta River, and

effectively managing all major water Basins in Ghana

BOOST SPORTS, CREATIVE ARTS AND TOURISM

In the areas of sports creative arts and tourism, we will:

− use tax incentives, including a flat tax, to incentivise private sector investments in sports, tourism, and creative arts facilities

− implement an e-visa policy for all international visitors to Ghana, to make visa acquisition fast and “convenient” for visitors

− roll out a visa-free policy for all nationals of African and Caribbean countries visiting Ghana

− establish, in partnership with the private sector, a streaming and digital management platform for Ghanaian content developers in the creative arts

− establish a Travel Protocol Service (TPS) for the creatives community, to enable artistes, performers, and other creatives, honour international performances and shows

− establish a Sports Development Fund to develop sports infrastructure, talent development, and grassroots sports programmes, including the revival of Colts football and leagues across the country

− establish the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, which will be an agency under the ministry responsible for sports, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the GES and sports federations. My government will also seek school-level collaboration with international sports bodies like the NBA and NFL to make Ghana a hub for these emerging sports in Africa, to create more opportunities for young people. We have already tried this with the NFL, the governing body for American Football.

− upgrade the surfaces of our football pitches to meet the highest international Standards (Kumasi, Accra, Cape Coast, Tamale & Essipong)

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My government will also implement an effective maintenance module for our sports facilities.

− Continue the construction of Astro Turfs for every constituency to boost the development of our talents including juvenile football. We have increased from 3 Astro turfs as at 2016 to 150 Astro Turfs in 2024

− start an “Operation Olympics Glory” programme by dedicating resources towards the preparation and readiness of athletes to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA, including, where necessary, targeting specific sports for medals

− support the revival of the Premier League, and Clubs, to improve commercial viability, and to create related jobs by:

directing policy through the National Lotteries Authority and the Gaming Commission to establish and fund a Sports Employment Module to assist Premier League clubs fund operational expenses, including player remuneration, and

provide a bus each to Premier League Clubs

− build six (6) 5,000-seater capacity, standard stadiumsfor the new regions, as well as a standard stadium in Sunyani and

− promote school sports by establishing a Ghana School Sports Secretariat to create more opportunities for young people in sports, and collaborate with international sports bodies like the NBA and NFL to make Ghana a hub for emerging sports in Africa

PROTECTING OUR BORDERS, KEEPING SAFE NEIGHBOURHOODS

Ladies and Gentlemen, We will not compromise on our efforts to ensure Ghanaians feel safe and are free to go about their daily lives. We will therefore continue to keep our borders protected and our communities and neighbourhoods safe. We will:

– Complete the 15 forward operating bases (FOB) at our border frontiers of Ghana. This is to allow the military to swiftly respond to any external hostilities and threats posed by terrorists in the sub region.

– Continue equipping Ghana’s security services to build their capability in protecting the nation.

– Deepen the cooperation with our neighbouring states and the international community in the fight against violent extremism

– recruit and deploy 20,000 more security personnel to enhance police visibility and strengthen the human resource of other security services; roll out 50,000 more anti-crime cameras (CCTV Cameras), body cameras for the police, and other logistics

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

I believe we can find broad contours of a national development plan for which we can find consensus in areas such as education, health, industrialization, environment etc. I will support such a consensus national development plan. Specifically, I will propose to amend Article 87 of the 1992 Constitution as well as the NDPC Act (Act 479) to mandate political party manifestoes, and consequently, Economic and Social policies of governments, as well as budgets, to be aligned to the agreed on broad contours in specific sectors.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW

The current constitution was designed mainly for political stability and it has achieved that . We need to amend it with the help of Parliament to align it more for national development. In that context, we are committed to the process to amend the 1992 Constitution through extensive public consultation, with key emphasis on issues such as election of MMDCEs to deepen decentralization, exgratia, and empowering institutions while reducing the power of the President.

CARE FOR THE VULNERABLE AND SPECIAL NEEDS

I want to build a nation that cares for and invests in the vulnerable like persons with disabilities, the aged, street kids, lepers, cerebral palsy patients, etc. in cooperation with faith based institutions and the private sector. My government will also focus on special needs. To start with, we will recruit 1,000 special education teachers and retrain teachers on how to work with special needs students. We will also train more speech and language therapists and occupational and behavioural therapists.

We will also set a quota for the recruitment of PWDs in all government recruitment and also provide incentives to the private sector to recruit PWDs.

MY MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH

To the youth of our country kindly lend me your ears. I have been to you and have listened to your concerns and soaked in your aspirations. I want to assure you that I am for you.

Our nation is at a crossroads. We are preparing to elect a new President in December 2024 and I believe I will serve you better as your next leader. I am a problem-solving leader. In the last seven years, I have, with the blessings of President Akufo-Addo, led initiatives to address some of the fundamental problems with public service delivery.

I possess the integrity you require in your next President. I believe the Almighty has blessed me with the fortitude of character to ensure the implementation of BOLD SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR FUTURE. My track record of public service, and in international development is public knowledge. My entire career from an academic through to the Bank of Ghana, the African Development Bank, and to the current role of Vice-President has been anchored on competence, diligence, and effective management skills that have contributed to my ability to see projects through to completion. I am determined to make your future my business if you give me the mandate to serve you.

My proven capability to manage and deliver results professionally and transparently sets me apart from the rest in the race. As an experienced professional with unblemished national and international credentials, I am ready to bring that expertise to bear on national governance with a sole motivation to transform. The NPP delegates resoundingly gave me the mandate to lead the Party based on my performance and delivery of major signature projects and programmes and vision. Given these and my verifiable high personal integrity I will humbly ask of you, ladies and gentlemen, that you hand the steer to me to usher in a new management style that will give us results—a paradigm shift in how we manage our resources, and let the benefits of nationhood reach out to every member of society.

With humility, I declare that I am a visionary leader who can generate new ideas to confront problems. I have the exciting ideas needed for a 21st-century nation. We have done well in creating jobs in the last seven years. However, unemployment is still a major issue among the youth. I make a firm commitment to sustain and expand the rebounding economy to address the problem of unemployment.

To the Gen Zees, I am well-plugged into the new world you belong and I know the keys to press to unlock your potentials within. I am your ‘plug’ to your dreams of a prosperous Ghana. I am your ‘plug’ to creating opportunities and decent-paying jobs. I shall offer you a problem-solving leadership built on my values of integrity, compassion, and sincerity.

To this end, I have presented for your consideration our manifesto for Election 2024. The manifesto is ‘giving’. It is ‘giving’ hope. It is ‘giving ideas’. It is ‘giving’ jobs.

It offers the opportunity to create a new generation of entrepreneurs through my Business Support Initiatives. It strives to make Ghana a fully digitized nation in which you are able to access public services with ease. It incentivizes the private sector to expand and deliver good jobs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that as Vice President, the policies I have championed or initiated have impacted or will impact the lives of virtually every Ghanaian. I have with the full blessings and support of my boss, promised and delivered on many ground-breaking policies that are happening for the first time in our history. These include the Ghanacard, Digital Address System, Mobile Money Interoperability, Agenda 111, E-Pharmacy, Ghana.Gov, One Constituency One Ambulance, Zongo Development Fund, Paperless Ports, Motor Insurance Database, Renewal of NHIS membership on the mobile phone, The Ghanacard number as your TIN, SSNIT and NHIS number, Zipline Drone deliveries, Gold for Oil, Gold Purchase Program, etc. Through the successful implementation of these policies I have proven to be a problem-solver and a promise keeper.

CONCLUSION

Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, the choice Ghanaians face in 2024 is fundamentally a choice between a brighter future and a bleak past. As I noted in my presentation at UPSA in February, we have to ask ourselves a number of questions in making that choice:

If you want someone you can trust to come up with innovative and impactful ideas to transform Ghana, then it is Dr. Bawumia.

If it is someone with personal integrity who can be trusted to fight corruption, then your choice, clearly, is Dr. Bawumia.

And, if the person you have in mind is someone you can trust to work hard, tirelessly and selflessly for Ghana, it is Dr. Bawumia.

If you want a leader who has a proven record, and who you can trust to create jobs for the youth, it is Dr. Bawumia.

A man to trust to take care of the poor, disabled and vulnerable, it is Dr. Bawumia.

if you are looking for the man who has the vision and commitment to prepare Ghana for the Fourth Industrial revolution, it is Dr. Bawumia.

If you are looking for the man who is more committed to protecting and using our natural resources for the benefit of Ghanaians, it is Dr. Bawumia.

Who will be more accountable to Ghanaians? A one term president like my competitor, or a person who can look to the long-term development of Ghana because he will return to you after four years to render an account for another term? It is Dr. Bawumia.

Who can you trust to protect and improve Free SHS? It is Dr. Bawumia.

Who can you trust to improve the National Health Insurance Scheme and improve the quality of healthcare in Ghana? It is Dr. Bawumia.

Who has demonstrated a commitment to the development of deprived communities like our inner cities and Zongo? It is Dr. Bawumia.

Who can you trust to provide bold solutions to improve our economy, create jobs and improve social protection? It is Dr. Bawumia.

Who have you tried before and he failed you and you voted him out and now wants you to take a chance with him again? Well, it is not Dr Bawumia!

I am determined to make a difference; a positive difference. I am determined to use the experience I have earned over the last 7 to 8 years from the challenges and priorities we tackled, from the successes we have chalked to work hard to succeed with you on the priorities that I have laid before you today. I will work for you and with you; with honesty and integrity; with wisdom and decisiveness. I have clarity in my mind as to what I want to do from day one if you make me President. I will not ask for a honeymoon to cool-off and think about what to do with the responsibility you give me. I am prepared and ready to serve. You know what I stand for. You know my vision. I believe in the ingenuity of the Ghanaian. Together, we can succeed in building a progressive society of possibilities, enterprise, compassion, open opportunities and shared prosperity for every Ghanaian, born rich or poor, born in the north or the south, born Christian or Muslim, born girl or boy, a leper or disabled.

I have never been President of Ghana before. I am presenting myself to you for the first time to ask for your precious vote to serve you as your President and to continue the development agenda of the NPP. When you make me president, I will implement my own vision that I have outlined. In all humility, I will ask you to give me the opportunity to become one of the most impactful presidents in Ghana’s history.

In conclusion, dear Ghanaians, what I have presented today are highlights of our 2024 Manifesto. There are many more details and policies that can be found in the full version. I implore you all to read the full version. This manifesto we are launching today is a manifesto of hope; a manifesto anchored on bold solutions to usher in the golden age of good governance and accountability; and a manifesto of possibilities focusing on quantum leaps in jobs and prosperity. Our positive mindset is built on a solid track record of innovations and achievements. Unlike our friends, who regard every life-changing policy proposal as impossible, we in the NPP see possibilities to innovate, deliver and prosper.

I mean to deliver for your family, for your future, for your business. Indeed, Bawumia Means Business!

I thank you all for your support, prayers, and with God’s guidance, we can win together.

IT IS POSSIBLE!!!

Thank you for your attention.

God bless you and

God bless our homeland Ghana