Bawumia Proposes Binding National Masterplans to Ensure Development Continuity

NPP presidential candidate Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has proposed the adoption of long-term national masterplans for critical sectors of Ghana's economy that would be binding on successive governments, regardless of the political party in power.

According to him, such an approach would prevent incoming administrations from abandoning projects and policies initiated by their predecessors, ensuring continuity in national development and the completion of long-term infrastructure projects.

Dr Bawumia made the proposal after a series of engagements with Japanese development and engineering institutions during his visit to Japan.

In a statement recounting his engagements, he said his final day of formal meetings involved discussions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Nippon Koei, CTI Engineering, and Oriental Consultants Global.

The discussions focused on key development challenges, including disaster risk reduction, coastal erosion, flood mitigation, transport planning, and the development of masterplans for cities.

According to Dr Bawumia, what impressed him most about Japan was its long-term approach to national development, where successive governments and stakeholders build consensus around development plans and remain committed to implementing them over extended periods.

He noted that Japan's model allows projects and development policies to continue for decades with little risk of being abandoned by a new administration.

"Japan takes the long view. They build consensus around a plan and then commit to executing it over 30 years," he stated.

Dr Bawumia contrasted this with Ghana's development approach, arguing that the absence of agreed national masterplans in several critical sectors has contributed to policy discontinuity whenever political power changes hands.

"That is a major difference between Japan and Ghana," he said.

He maintained that Ghana must move away from a system in which successive governments pursue different development priorities without building on long-term plans established by previous administrations.

The former Vice President proposed that political parties develop consensus-driven national masterplans in critical areas such as coastal erosion management, flood control, and public transport, and formally commit themselves to implementing them.

Under the proposed arrangement, such plans would remain national priorities regardless of which political party wins an election and forms the next government.

"Let us have agreed masterplans in areas such as coastal erosion, flood control, and public transport, and let all political parties sign up to them," he said.

"So that no matter who forms the government, the plan will be executed until it is completed."

Dr Bawumia stressed that the proposal would require political parties to place long-term national development objectives above partisan interests in selected strategic sectors.

He believes Ghana can adapt elements of Japan's planning model to build a durable development framework that successive governments would be committed to implementing.