The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has officially inaugurated a Technical Committee to review, update and finalise the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (GIP), in a strategic move aimed at strengthening the planning, financing and delivery of infrastructure across the country.
The Committee has been given a four-month mandate to comprehensively review the existing GIP, update its framework and produce a final document that will guide Ghana’s long-term infrastructure development agenda.
Scope of Work
According to the NDPC, the assignment will involve a thorough review of the existing GIP against current sector plans, policies, regulations, master plans and investment programmes across all sectors of the economy.
The Committee is also expected to update the Plan’s results framework, including its indicators and milestones, and integrate the National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) into the GIP to ensure balanced and spatially equitable development.
Outlining the Terms of Reference, the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, said the Committee will:
– Review the GIP against current sector infrastructure plans, policies and master plans;
– Update the National Spatial Development Framework and fully integrate it into the GIP;
– Conduct broad stakeholder consultations across government, private sector and civil society;
– Update the plan’s results framework, indicators and milestones;
– Propose robust institutional arrangements for effective implementation at both national and district levels; and
– Identify sustainable financing options, including infrastructure bonds, government revenue and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
End To Stop-And-Go Development
Delivering the opening remarks at the inauguration ceremony in Accra, the Chairman of the NDPC, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, said the updated plan must help Ghana move away from the inconsistent and short-term approach to national development that has characterised infrastructure delivery over the years.
“It’s important that we move away from this stop-and-go approach to national development and have a more consistent, predictable, and transparent approach,” Dr Thompson stated.
He explained that the GIP will not only provide clear strategic direction for infrastructure development but will also establish a strong governance framework to ensure that infrastructure projects are procured and delivered effectively, efficiently and transparently.
Dr Thompson identified energy, water, transport including logistics, and digital infrastructure as critical priority areas, while stressing the urgent need for stronger institutional capacity, decentralized implementation at the local level, and the development of a competitive local construction sector.
Committee Pledges Commitment
Responding on behalf of the Committee, the Convenor of the Committee and Chief Analyst at the NDPC, Mr Daniel Amofa, expressed appreciation to the Commission for the confidence reposed in its members.
Mr Amofa pledged the Committee’s full commitment to delivering a comprehensive, forward-looking and implementable plan that will transform Ghana’s infrastructure landscape and support sustainable national development.
The inauguration of the Technical Committee marks a significant step in government’s efforts to ensure that Ghana’s infrastructure development is guided by a coherent, long-term, and well-financed plan.
