Chieftaincy
is vital for national development–Asantehene
Kumasi, Aug 14, Ghanadot/GNA- Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has
said that chieftaincy institution was the only institution
which could determine the type of sustainable arrangement
for national development plan towards the attainment of
middle-income status.
He stressed the need for the National Development Planning
Commission (NDPC) to institutionalize mechanisms to
facilitate access to land requirements for mechanized
agriculture, forestry fishing and industrialisation and
housing among others.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said these in a speech read on his behalf
at the opening of a two-day consensus building workshop on
National Long-Term Development Plan for members of the
National House of Chiefs, in Kumasi on Thursday.
The workshop being organized by the NDPC was under the theme
“Strategic Options for Consideration in the Comprehensive
National Plan”.
The Asantehene noted that prevailing land acquisition and
utilization policies tended to be fragmented and advised
chiefs to help address the problem.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said it was time for the NDPC to look
beyond the fairly recently favourable international market
prices of the country’s commodities including gold and cocoa
which were the bed-rock of the economy.
He said even though resources
ensure decent standard of living, there was also the danger
that a major collapse in the prices of primary products
would seriously destabilize the fragile economy.
The Asantehene urged the Commission to work towards
improving key sectors of the economy and areas including the
transport industry, water, health, education to enable them
play vital roles in the socio-economic development of the
country.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on the Commission to consider other
positive roles that it could play in protecting the strategy
and contents of the national development plans towards
accelerated growth of the country.
Dr Regina Adutwum, Director General of the NDPC, said the
current national development policy framework, the Growth
and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) II, was designed to
introduce a shift of strategic towards accelerated growth of
national economy and society to propel Ghana towards
middle-income status within a measurable planning period.
She said the Commission has been involved in organizing
series of workshops to equip participants with skills and
expertises to enable them contribute meaningfully to
national development.
Mr J.H. Mensah, Chairman of the NDPC, said the objective of
the Commission was to ensure the over all development of the
country to fight against poverty, illiteracy, diseases and
other problems to improve the living standards of Ghanaians.
Odeneho Gyapong Ababio, III, President of the National House
of Chiefs, commended the Commission for considering chiefs
as partners in development and organizing such workshops for
them to discuss comprehensive long-term national development
plan.
GNA
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