NDPC develops communication strategy

Akosombo (E/R), Dec. 17, GNA - The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) will use strategic communication channels, especially the mass media to engineer a platform for development dialogue in order to promote transparency and accountability in the public policy process.

As such, the NDPC has developed a communication strategy on the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) with the objective of co-ordinating information dissemination on it, promote dialogue on its implementation and generate feedback for the policy management process. This was contained in a speech read on behalf of the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Regina Adutwum, at a workshop on the GPRS at Atimpoku in the Asuogyaman District for participants in the Eastern, Volta and the Greater Accra Regions.

The participants, including traditional rulers, regional co-ordinating directors and civil society organizations such as the Ghana Journalists' Association, deliberated on Ghana's development projections and how to ensure positive outcomes for development initiatives.

Dr Adutwum said it was the desire of the commission that through the use of certain strategic communication channels, it could help engage participation of a larger segment of the populace in fashioning sustainable national policies.

According to the NDPC boss, Ghana was fast becoming an open society following the liberalization of the media which has helped to create awareness of citizens' rights and increased the demand for transparency and accountability.

A Senior Planning Analyst at the NDPC, Mrs Mary Mpereh, said the government was working towards ensuring that budget estimates were in consonance with the GPRS so as to attain in the shortest possible time, the goal of reducing extreme forms of poverty in the country. On macro-economic stability, she said the GPRS target of five per cent for 2005 was exceeded by a percentage point although the projected inflation rate of single digit was missed.

Touching on the issue of food security, Mrs Mpereh explained that, even though the targeted number of silos needed was exceeded, the agriculture sector failed to meet the projected number of one extension officer to 1,200 farmers which currently stood at one officer to 1,400 farmers.

Participants suggested the need to add value and preserve Ghana's agriculture products for export as a way of bringing extra cash into the pockets of the farmers.

They also appealed to government to help develop simple but appropriate technologies to enable farmers expand their acreage and harvest water for an all year farming. 17 Dec. 06