26/09/2024
*Some Achievements of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government and Dr Bawumia's plans for Ghana*
*Achievements*
1. We have created over 2.3 million jobs since 2017. World Development Index data shows the unemployment rate in Ghana average 3% between 2017 and 2019, compared to 5% in 2016, while youth unemployment averaged 6% over the same period, down from 10% in 2016
2. We kept public sector workers employed and fully paid even during the COVID-19 Pandemic
3. We have initiated, or oversaw the construction and rehabilitation of more railways than any other government since 1992 (Achimota-Nsawam, Accra-Tema, Kojokrom-Tarkwa, Kojokrom–Manso, Tema-Mpakadan)
4. We have extended more rural telephony network than any other government since 1992 (increasing from 78 sites to 1008 sites)
5. We have constructed more public libraries than any other government since 1992. We have increased the total number of public libraries from 61 in 2017 to 115 by 2023
6. We have constructed more fish landing sites than any other government since 1992, including Axim, Dixcove, Moree, Mumford, Winneba, Senya Breku, Gomoa Fetteh, Teshie, Osu, Ekumfi, and Mfantseman
7. We have constructed two major fishing harbours in Elmina and James Town
8. We have constructed more sanitation facilities (817) than any other government since 1992. As a result, we have increased the proportion of the population with access to toilet facilities from 33% in 2016 to 80.8% in 2023. Also, 5,400 communities have been declared open- defecation-free since 2017. This has resulted in a virtual elimination of cholera in Ghana
9. We have constructed more sports facilities than any other government since 1992. We have completed six new multi-purpose sports stadiums, and four ongoing in each of the ten “old” regions, completed the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon, built multi-sports facilities at Borteyman for the African Games, as well as increased public AstroTurfs in Ghana from 3 in 2016 to 150, with many more at various stages of development
10. We have significantly improved the operational capabilities of the Ghana Police Service by providing 933 vehicles, 4,202 motorbikes, and 3 helicopters, improving their mobility and presence across the country
11. We have abolished the 3-month arrears policy for teachers and cleared all accumulated arrears between 2011 and 2022
12. We have constructed more courts and accommodation for the judiciary than any other government since 1992, including 120 courts (80 completed) and 150 bungalows for the judiciary
13. We have kept the lights on for eight years after five years of Dumsor
14. We have restored Teacher and Nurse Trainee allowances that were cancelled
15. We have increased Scholarship beneficiaries by 70%
16. We have extended NHIS coverage to childhood cancers, Hydroxyurea for sickle cell patients, and Dialysis treatment
17. We have saved the deposits of 4.6 million bank depositors by saving the near collapsed banking system we inherited
18. We have tripled the capitation grant per child from GH¢5 in 2016 to GH¢15 in 2024
19. We have settled the US$13 million arrears owed to peacekeeping personnel, and increased their allowances from US$30 to US$35 per soldier per day
20. We have had the lowest increase in electricity tariffs in recent history. Between 2009 and 2016, the average annual increase in end-user electricity tariffs was 50% per year. Between 2017 and 2023 on the other hand, the average annual increase was 11.1%. This is the lowest annual average increase in electricity tariffs for any government since 1992
21. We have abolished or reduced 21 separate taxes in our first term (before the global crisis)
22. We have reduced import duties by 50% between 2019 and 2021
23. We have introduced the National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS) to assist people with rent advance. So far 1,393 people have benefited from the scheme
24. We have increased the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to Persons With Disability (PWDs) by 50%
25. We have reduced infant mortality per 1000 live births from 37.9 in 2016 to 32.6 in 2021
26. We have increased expenditure on the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme from GH₵49 million in 2016 to GH₵423 million by 2023
27. We have increased expenditure on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from GH₵ 1.1 billion in 2016 to GH₵ 6.8 billion in 2024
28. We have, through digitisation, increased NHIS active membership from 10.8 million in 2018 to over 17 million people in 2023
29. We introduced the largest medical drone service in the world, to efficiently deliver medical supplies and improve healthcare access in remote areas. 2,694 health facilities have been onboarded on the Zipline Drone Services as of August 2023
30. We implemented Free SHS/TVET with an increase in enrolment from 813,448 in 2016/17 to 1.48 million in 2023/24, an increase of 83% over the period. 2023 recorded the highest-ever first-year enrolment in Free SHS/TVET of around 554,034 students, highlighted by a remarkable 95% enrolment rate in the Northern Regions. The students’ performance at WASSCE is also the best in the history of the examination, and have also achieved gender parity
31. We have fed over 4 million beneficiaries under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in 2024, compared to 1.6 million in 2016
32. We have absorbed examination fees for all students for BECE and WASSCE examinations
33. We doubled the number of student loan recipients, from 30,000 on average per year before its introduction to 58,000 currently, by removing the guarantor policy under the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF)
34. We registered over 18 million people for the GhanaCard and merged separate public databases (tax identification, social security, driver licenses, public payroll, criminal records, SIM Cards etc) to ensure easy access to government services
35. We rolled out the National Digital Property Addressing System with 8 million address plates affixed to homes
36. We introduced Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) which has led to Ghana achieving 100% financial inclusion
37. We have procured 900,000 tablets for distribution to all secondary school students, and distributed 2,718 vehicles of all types to various agencies under the Ministry of Education, helping to improve access and reducing inequalities in education
38. We have added 134.1 MW of renewable energy to our energy mix, from a low of 37.7 in 2016 to 171.8 MW
39. We have improved monthly ECG collection through the digitisation drive. The introduction of its mobile app, PowerApp, has increased monthly collection to over GH₵1 billion, from an average of GH₵450 million monthly
40. We have distributed 20,000 LPG cook stoves under the LPG for Development Programme. 430,000 stoves have been distributed to promote clean cooking with charcoal, and to reduce the harmful effects of smoke
41. We have renovated existing stadia across the country including the Accra Sports Stadium, Baba Yara Stadium, and Cape Coast Stadium
42. We instituted the “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return,” which have attracted waves of visitors and investors to Ghana, spotlighted our cultural vibrancy and historical significance to the world, and created further momentum for the emergence of initiatives such as ‘December in GH’
43. We restored the iconic Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
44. We have, under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Project (IPEP), re- aligned priority spending to ensure that each of the 275 constituencies was directly given resources to undertake infrastructure projects. 1,609 projects have been completed under IPEP, to promote inner city development across the country, including small dams to support all year farming, rural markets, and community-based mechanised water systems
45. We have made significant investments in healthcare infrastructure by building new hospitals, clinics, and facilities, embarking on the massive Agenda 111 project, as well as completing abandoned and other inherited projects as follows (see Chapter 10.1.2.2 of the Main Manifesto for details):
46. We have completed 6 of the 9 stalled and abandoned “Euroget” health sector projects
47. We have started and completed new, 47 non-Agenda 111 hospitals, clinics and healthcare projects, including 21 Clinics through IPEP
48. We have started 17 non-Agenda 111 hospitals, clinics and healthcare projects currently at various stages of completion, including 5 Clinics through IPEP
49. We have started 21 new Treatment and Holding Centres, 13 of which have been completed
50. We started the Agenda 111 hospitals and healthcare projects made up of 104 (originally 101) District Hospitals, 7 Regional Hospitals, 2 Regional Psychiatric Hospitals, and 1 National Psychiatric Hospital (Accra Psychiatric Hospital)
51. We have completed 17 other inherited hospital projects
52. We have completed 428 CHPs compounds and 230 Health Centres
53. We procured 307 Ambulances for distribution to each Constituency, and all Regional and Teaching Hospitals, to enhance healthcare delivery
54. We have improved food security through the “Planting for Food and Jobs,” “Rearing for Food and Jobs,” “One Village, One Dam,” and “One District, One Warehouse” initiatives
55. We have accelerated the diversification of the economy through the “One District, One Factory” and “Strategic Anchor” initiatives. Over GH¢500 million invested so far
56. We have substantially augmented the personnel strength across all Security and Intelligence Agencies (SIAs), including:
57. We have increased the number of the Ghana Police Service by almost 40% (from 33,213 in 2016 to 46,116) in 2023, we more than doubled the number of personnel in the Fire Service from 7,000 in 2016 to 15,000 by 2023
58. We have more than doubled Ghana Prisons Service personnel from 5,431 in 2016 to 11,472 in 2023
59. We have more than tripled the Ghana Immigration Service workforce from 4,270 in 2016 to 13,646 in 2023, and
60. We have significantly increased the staffing levels of the Narcotics Control Commission (from 553 to 927), National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (from 13 to 75), Ghana Refugee Board (from 32 to 52), National Peace Council (from 17 to 67), Gaming Commission (from 47 to 70), and National Disaster Management Organisation (from 6,101 to 6,185)
61. We have made significant investments in the infrastructure of various Security and Intelligence Agencies (SIAs), including Phases I and II of the Barracks Regeneration Project, the Transformation Agenda of the Ghana Police Service, and the Military Housing Project for the Ghana Armed Forces. Since 2017, 1,000 housing units have been constructed to support the accommodation needs of security services personnel. Two additional Data Centres and Emergency Command Centre (ECC) facilities in Kumasi and Tamale have been established, and, the
62. completion of Alpha Phase I by the National Signals Bureau marked a significant milestone under which over 11,000 cameras and 65 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) sites have been deployed to enhance surveillance and response capabilities
63. We have, through the Zongo Development Fund, constructed more infrastructure and implemented more development policies in the Zongo communities than any other government since 1992. Over 200 infrastructure projects has completed through the Fund
64. We have attained a Balance of Trade surplus for the first time in over 22 years
65. We established the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) and recruited more than 100,000 graduates for four years. 34,000 of the trainees obtained permanent employment
66. We paid the outstanding pension fund contributions of public sector workers we inherited
67. We established Seventy-Five (75) Greenhouses at Dawhenya to enhance vegetable production
68. We established the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) with over 15,000 small businesses funded, and 250,000 young entrepreneurs given entrepreneurial training
69. The Ghana Enterprises Agency has provided Business Development Support to over 1.3 million beneficiaries and Provided Grants/loans to 332,425 beneficiaries and created 56,680 new businesses and 100,086new jobs
70. CTVET through the Ghana Skills Development Fund has so far committed Ghc 332 million in grant funds to 100s of Enterprises. A total of 42,000 existing and new jobs have been sustained and created.
71. We passed the Right to Information Act
72. We passed the Affirmative Action Act
73. We have constructed 80,000-metric-ton warehouses under “One District, One Warehouse” Initiative
74. We have constructed about 400 out of the 560 small earth dams in the 5 northern regions in fulfilment of the “One Village, One Dam” promise
75. We have increased the road network from 78,000km to nearly 100,000km, including 2,000km of asphaltic overlay and rehabilitation and maintenance of over 12,000km of roads.
76. These network improvements included the construction of 12 multi-tier interchanges in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi, 6 of which have been completed with another 6 under construction completed and commissioned
77. Phase II and III of the Prempeh I International Airport (Kumasi) project, involving the construction of a new terminal building capable of handling one million passengers yearly, car park, apron, and access roads; Phase 1 of the Sunyani Airport rehabilitation; and upgraded and commissioned the Yakubu Tali International Airport (Tamale)
78. We implemented a paperless system at the ports
79. We digitised the operations of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)
80. We have implemented a motor insurance database that allows anyone to check the insurance status of any vehicle on a mobile phone
81. We have streamlined the processes for arrival and departure at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to make it one of the quickest airports for processing arriving passengers in the world
82. We have networked and digitised the records of all Teaching, Regional and District hospitals in Ghana. Referrals of patients from one jurisdiction to another no longer requires that the patient’s folder be physically transported
83. We have implemented an E-Pharmacy platform with all pharmacies in Ghana onboarded, the first in Africa and one of a few in the world
84. We have implemented a one-stop portal (Ghana.Gov) for all MMDAs. 1,507 MMDAs out of 1,517 (99%) have so far been onboarded on the platform
85. We have addressed various internal security challenges, including land and chieftaincy disputes, of note being the resolution of the long-standing Dagbon crisis
86. We have implemented far-reaching policies, passed legislation, and allocated resources to fight corruption, including: - enacting the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989)
- enacting the Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 975)
- enacting the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act 1034)
- enacting the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044)
88. - rolling out the Ghana.Gov Platform
89. - increasing budgetary allocations to the Police (162%), the Audit Service (83%) and CHRAJ (21%) at the end of 2021, compared to 2016
90. - setting up an Office of Special Prosecutor by enacting the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), and
91. Instituting a Value-For-Money assessment regime for single- sourced and restricted tender applications, which has resulted in GH¢2.3 billion savings between 2019 and 2021
92. Completed over 3,000 Education Infrastructure Projects across various levels of Education
93. Over 2,500 new Educational Infrastructure Projects initiated since 2017.
94. Over 3,000 Vehicles distributed to various agencies and institutions under the Ministry of Education
95. 1,500 motorbikes have been distributed to various agencies
and institutions under the Ministry of
Education.
96. We are distributing 350,000 Laptops to Ghanaian teachers
97 Over 1 million furniture
distributed to basic and secondary schools
between 2019-2021
98. We have created six new regions
99. Built 6 Kayayei Hostels and Learning Centres in Accra, Kumasi and Techiman
100. Built a National Aquaculture Centre
Dr Bawumia's Plans for Ghana
1. Achieve, and sustain an average 6% growth by expanding Agriculture, Mining (including establishing Minerals Development Bank), 1D1F, Emerging Industries, Digital Hub & Services, Sports, Tourism, and Creative Arts
2. increase Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) as an important funding model for delivering public infrastructure projects
3. establish an independent Fiscal Responsibility Council to oversee Fiscal Policy, and
4. amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act to add a new fiscal rule that requires that expenditure in any year does not exceed 105% of the previous year’s tax revenue
5. train 1,000,000 youth in digital skills
6. create jobs through private-sector construction and infrastructure development, industrialisation, and Agribusiness
7. create jobs through the Tax Amnesty Programme
8. create jobs for artisans (carpenters, masons, welders etc) and built environment professionals, to maintain public infrastructure, through a revived and resourced PWD
9. create SME jobs with the introduction of The SME Bank
10. create jobs through the minerals industry, and its value chain (aluminium, gold, lithium, manganese, salt etc)
11. employ more security services personnel
12. create jobs through the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Programme
13. recruit more special needs teachers
14. set quotas for recruitment of PWDs for public sector recruitment
15. employ more lawyers for legal aid (at least 2 for each District)
16. create other jobs through Tourism, Creative Arts and Sports; “Jobs Abroad” Programme; “Youth in Seafaring” Programme; Aviation & Logistics; Green Energy Industries, including EVs, and
17. support businesses to drive and accelerate job creation by:
18. cutting 3% of GDP from government expenditure (~GH₵30 billion), and redirecting it towards private sector provision of public infrastructure and services
19. using our tried and tested gold purchase programme to stabilise the currency, to give businesses and industries predictability in planning, and ensure stability in input prices
20. introduce a flat rate tax system in Ghana, like Estonia. This will simplify the tax administration by giving taxpayers visibility into their tax obligations and therefore easier to file and pay their taxes
21. complement the Flat Tax regime by using a Tax Amnesty Programme to enable industries finance their expansion, recruit more employees, and energise economic activity
22. implementing a significant shift in electricity tariffs structure to a regime in which commercial rates are either equal to, or lower than residential rates, never higher, to power industries and businesses
23. establishing an SME Bank to meet the special financing needs of small and medium businesses, which employ over 80% of Ghanaians
24. establishing a Fintech Fund with seed capital of US$100 Million (~GH₵1.6 billion) to attract additional private sector funding to support Ghanaian start-ups developing payments and financial services solutions
25. reforming the licensing regime for the small-scale mining sector and establishing a Minerals Development Bank to finance viable local mineral projects, small scale miners, as well as Ghanaian mining and mining services firms
26. using the Credit Scoring System to enable the average Ghanaian access basic needs through cheaper credit: “Buy now, pay small, small”. This will increase domestic demand, increase production and create jobs
27. using the Tax Amnesty Programme for Individuals to increase disposable income to stimulate and boost demand for goods and services, for businesses to produce more, expand and employ more
28. using Government’s purchasing power to stimulate industrial expansion and business growth, which will help create jobs, by rolling out a “Buy Ghana First” policy under which all goods and services procured by the public sector will first be filled by goods and services produced locally, and
29. completing the digitalisation of land titling and registration to enable owners of landed properties to use their properties as collateral to raise capital for business growth and expansion
30. offer a one-time tax amnesty to all Ghanaians and corporate entities through:
31. tax amnesty from the payment of taxes from the previous years
32. the waiving of interest and penalties for failures to file taxes in previous years
33. reform the Value Added Tax regime by merging all levies into a single line-item levy, and treat the merged levy as part of input and output VAT, to eliminate the cascading effect in the current regime
34. reduce Withholding Tax (WHT) for small scale gold exports to 1% to discourage smuggling
35. abolish the Betting Tax
36. incentivise Ghanaian start-ups in selected, strategic sectors with Investment Tax Credits (ITC) for the first three (3) years of their operations
37. digitise all aspects of tax administration to reduce leakages, improve efficiency and ease of filing
38. implement a Flat Rate for all importers, bringing predictability and stability on prices of imported goods
39. harmonise port charges to align with charges in competing regional ports, particularly Togo. Duties at our ports will be same or lower, and
40. broaden the tax base by leveraging digitalisation to capture more eligible taxpayers to reduce the pressure on the few
41. training 1,000,000 young people in all areas and levels of digital skills
42. working with educational institutions and leading Ghanaian and global tech firms to establish a National Robotics, Engineering, and AI Lab for research and training of young Ghanaians locally
43. providing venture funding and grant support for commercially viable tech projects by Ghanaian start-ups to drive innovation, foster high-tech entrepreneurship, create jobs, and support growth of Ghanaian high-tech businesses
44. providing “live lab” opportunities to Ghanaian tech start-ups under a Matchmaking Programme, by purposely connecting them to matured/large tech firms working on government tech projects, to help start-ups test their ideas in real-world environments, and to accelerate their product development cycle
45. working with the Bank of Ghana to significantly expand our Regulatory Sandbox to admit more Ghanaian as well as regional Fintechs. This will position Ghana as a Multi-Regulatory/Multi- Jurisdictional Sandbox for financial and payments interoperability
46. establishing a Fintech Fund with seed capital of US$100 Million to attract additional private sector funding to support Ghanaian start- ups developing payments and financial services solutions, specially focused on Region-wide, exportable solutions
47. continue leading in the African Union policy campaign to achieve cross-border mobile money interoperability to enhance significantly the buying and selling of goods and services across Africa. This will instantly expose Ghanaian enterprises and young entrepreneurs to a market of 1.4 billion people
48. promoting and supporting Electric Vehicles (EV) for public transportation
49. expanding the Gold-For-Oil Programme (G4O) to continue stabilising the price of fuel
50. stabilising the prices of spare parts through the “Flat Rate for all importers” policy which will bring predictability and stability on prices of imported goods, and
51. making drivers’ licenses valid for 10 years, renewable every 5 years
52. Bringing on stream 2,000 megawatts of solar power
53. complete the 15 Forward Operating Bases (FOB) at our border frontiers of Ghana. This is to allow the military to swiftly respond to any external hostilities and threats posed by terrorists in the Region
54. continue equipping Ghana’s security services to build their capability in protecting the nation
55. deepen the cooperation with our neighbouring states, and the international community, in the fight against violent extremism, and
56. recruit and deploy 20,000 more security personnel to enhance police visibility and strengthen the human resource of other security services; roll out 50,000 more anti-crime cameras (CCTV Cameras), body cameras for the police, and other logistics
57. directing policy through the National Lotteries Authority and the Gaming Commission to establish and fund a Sports Employment Module to assist Premier League clubs fund operational expenses, including player remuneration, and
58. provide a bus each to Premier League Clubs
59. build six (6) 5,000-seater capacity, standard stadiums for the new regions
60. promote school sports by establishing a Ghana School Sports Secretariat to create more opportunities for young people in sports, and collaborate with international sports bodies like the NBA and NFL to make Ghana a hub for emerging sports in Africa
61. Fully implement the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP)
Vote Number #1
Bismark Baisie Nkum and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
