The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has challenged government to invest and develop innovations that will enable Ghana’s fight against COVID-19 to enhance efficiency and spur growth beyond the pandemic.
According to Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, Director-General of NDPC, it was critical that Ghana build on the gains and capitalise on interdisciplinary views achieved during the pandemic to enhance national development.
“We should make these innovations part of our development process. We should not leave these innovations out. We should be able to improve it to enhance our efficiency. That is what Germany did after a war, Rwanda did same after a war.
“Ethiopia is currently taking advantage of the fall to do same. We haven’t gone through any war, but the pandemic has offered us a new opportunity for us to bring together innovations and interdisciplinary views to push our development,” he said.
Dr Mensah-Abrampa was speaking to the Ghanaian Times yesterday in Accra on the sidelines of a media briefing for the Commission’s 12th National Development Forum slated for tomorrow.
On the theme, “The future of work in post COVID-19 Ghana”, the event seeks to explore COVID-19’s impact on future work of government and its implications for the public and private sector.
The forum which would have representation from academia, research community and policy analysts, civil society organisations, development partners, among others, would further discuss the kinds of human capital investment and organizational work culture that would advance productivity at the work place.
The forum was initiated by the NDPC in May last year to collate the opinions of diverse stakeholders with a view to promoting broad-based participation of the citizenry and engendering citizens’ ownership of the national development agenda.
On interventions rolled-out to help the country’s fight against the pandemic, Dr Mensah-Abrampa commended thye government for prioritising support to businesses and development of infrastructure.
He said the financial support would cushion and stimulate businesses which were at the risk of collapse due to COVID-19, thereby protecting jobs and the incomes of households.
“We are satisfied that these interventions have been rolled out to stimulate businesses in the wake of the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. More importantly, this has come with renewed desire to improve health infrastructure and build the system that will enable us deal effectively to another future crisis,” the Director-General noted.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
