By Iddi Yire
Accra, March 4, GNA – Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Manifesto Committee Chairman for the 2024 election, has received the Ghana Youth Manifesto project report for the 2024 general election and beyond.
The Ghana Youth Manifesto represents the aspirations, needs, and concerns of young Ghanaians and outlines a roadmap for achieving a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous nation.
It is a youth-led initiative with the support of youth-focused civil society organisations.
The Manifesto is a highlight of a collaborative effort by diverse youth organisations, groups, networks and associations of the country to articulate a youth-focused development vision.
Mr Anthony Caid Gbemapu, a Core Team Member of the Ghana Youth Manifesto, presented a copy of the report to Prof Danso-Boafo at a meeting in Accra.
It assessed the views of over 3,500 young people who participated in a survey in the 16 regions of Ghana to share their views on key national and youth development issues.
Mr Christopher Wisdom Penu, the National Coordinator of the Youth Manifesto, said the report was being made available to all political parties to take into consideration the concerns of young people in the drafting of their respective manifestos for the upcoming election and beyond.
Copies had already been given to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP).
Mr Penu said one of the key issues identified was unemployment, which needed serious attention.
Touching on taxation of sanitary pads, he said they should be tax-free as ‘‘taxing sanitary pads is like taxing women for having their menses.”
He also reiterated the need for Governments to deal with the issue of corruption, which was hampering the national development agenda.
The report indicated that the nation’s youth wanted the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) to be abolished because it was adding to the cost of conducting financial transactions electronically.
Prof Danso-Boafo, who received the report on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, the NDC Flagbearer, commended the Ghana Youth Manifesto for the initiative, saying: “I admire you for embarking on this path, keep it up”.
He said a future NDC Government would propose decoupling the Youth from the Ministry of Youth and Sports so that there would be a standalone Ministry for Youth Development.
One of the most important subcommittees under NDC’s 2024 Election Manifesto Committee was the Youth Committee, and the group would be invited again to brief the NDC Manifesto Committee on their report.
Prof Danso-Boafo said hopefully, the Party’s 2024 Elections Manifesto would be launched in May after it had been approved by its flagbearer, the Council of Elders and the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Organisations supporting the Ghana Youth Manifesto include the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa, DANIDA, NORSAAC, Africa Education Watch, Youth Advocate Ghana, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, ActionAID and the Global Platform, and The Gracedlife Leadership Centre.
Dorcas Adjeley Yobo, Manager of Global Platform, ActionAid Ghana stressed the need for political party aspirants to make efforts in consolidating Ghana’s democracy by accelerating public discourse on the importance of active citizenship.
GNA