By Kodjo Adams /Emmanuel Mensah
Accra, Dec. 07, GNA – The African Centre for Economic Transformation has launched an initiative christened,”Ghana Compact” which sets a clear and collective vision for the country in 2050.
The initiative is aimed at ushering in a new era of prosperity and empowering the citizens and the Government to move beyond politics and focus on sound policy and a shared vision for the country’s future.
The Centre has outlined timelined programmes to achieve the objective of the Compact from 2023 to 2050, including citizen consultation, general election campaigns, the national convention, technical consultations, and the implementation of the Compact.
Dr K.Y. Amoako, Founder and President, ACET, said as the country approached its next election in 2024, the Compact offered an opportunity to move from politically focused to issue-driven campaigns and offer a platform for the citizens to hold their leaders accountable to their vision.
The Compact, he stressed, would put in place citizen-driven systems to monitor and measure progress towards the country’s long-term goals.
He said the Compact would focus on four key areas: political and constitutional reforms to end extreme political division and polarization and policies, leading to the improvement of the fiscal situation.
The rest of the areas are a long-term vision for economic transformation and a strong system to ensure that leaders adhered to collectively agreed goals and long-term targets to improve gender equality and access to affordable, high-quality health services.
He said recent elections had produced a deepening sense of worry about the foundations of the country’s democracy due to the growing polarization of politics.
Dr Amoako said the Compact would help the Government focus on national interests over party interests and empower the citizenry to be responsible for the country’s development needs.
“To be successful, the Compact will need the commitment of all Ghanaians, regardless of background, religion, political party, age, or gender,” he said.
Dr Ibn Chambas, former ECOWAS Chairman, said the country had a track record of setting the pace for new approaches in redressing political and socio-economic challenges of different purposes.
He said in the 1980s and 90s, Ghana led the way in political and economic reforms that set in motion democratisation processes and unleashed impressive economic growth, earning Africa the accolade of a hopeful continent.
Ms Radia Chentiwuni Issahaku, a member of the Northern Region Youth Network, said, “with the launch of the Ghana Compact, I see a Ghana with a development plan that prioritises accountable, inclusive, and transparent governance, a Ghana that provides quality education and leadership for the youth, a country that has values and principles with young people leading the change.”
She said it was imperative that young voices were heard and given the opportunity to contribute to and share ideas to address the challenges of the country.
GNA