The flag bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched the manifesto of the party for the 2024 general elections.
According to the NPP presidential candidate, the manifesto launched on Sunday, August 18, 2024 is one of the bold solutions, hope and possibilities for the continuous growth of the nation.
Launching the document at the Ghana Secondary Technical School in Takoradi, Western Region, Dr. Bawumia said that he had clarity of thought on what to do from day one of his presidency.
Dr. Bawumia said that the manifesto, the contractual pact with Ghanaians, contains policies and programmes his government will implement for the transformation of Ghana.
It was observed that several of the policies the flag bearer had announced in his engagements before the manifesto launch found expression in his presentation yesterday.
BOLD SOLUTIONS
Describing the manifesto as hope and bold solution, Dr. Bawumia stated that “Ghana needs bold solutions to deal with the current challenges we are facing and that is what I am offering myself in asking for the mandate of Ghanaians.
“This Manifesto lays out our comprehensive plan to take Ghana to the next level of growth and prosperity, under a selfless leader with bold solutions for jobs and business.”
He said the manifesto is largely focused on jobs and business and outlined programmes and incentives to strengthen the private sector and businesses, including a new friendly tax regime, considerable cuts on import duties, and the abolition of unfriendly taxes to businesses, including the controversial e-levy tax.
DIGITAL LITERACY
Dr. Bawumia also reiterated his quest to turn many Ghanaian youth into digital literates and create job opportunities for them, both locally and internationally, by training about one million youth in coding and other tech-related skills.
This, he believed, in addition to enhanced focus on TVET, will help create more sustainable jobs for the teeming youth of the country, alongside other programmes in different sectors.
“It offers the opportunity to create a new generation of entrepreneurs through my business support initiatives. It strives to make Ghana a fully digitized nation in which you are able to access public services with ease,” Dr. Bawumia said of the Manifesto.
ECONOMY
On governance and the economy, Dr. Bawumia showed a strong desire for economic transformation anchored on fiscal discipline. He announced the policy he had mentioned months before the manifesto not having more than 50 ministers in his government.
In furtherance, Dr. Bawumia also announced plans to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure stricter compliance clauses.
In every sector, from agriculture, health and education to tourism, creative arts and sports, Dr. Bawumia outlined versions of his ‘bold solutions’ for the sectors, which he said would be beneficial to all, regardless of political, ethnic and religious affiliations.
“My vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people, irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficiency, safe, prosperous and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data,” he said.
APPEAL
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a brief remark, appealed to Ghanaians to give Dr. Bawumia and Matthew Opoku Prempeh the nod to lead the country for the next eight years.
Testifying on the commitment of his vice president, President Akufo-Addo stated that “Dr. Bawumia breathes Ghana” and will deliver on every promise.
“This is a man who has respect for Ghana. He is not the type who will say to the Ghanaian people that you have a short memory,” he said.
GROWTH PATH
The National Chairman of the NPP, Stephen Ayensu Ntim, stated in his remarks that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government took over an economy in tatters from the previous government and met the global crisis of Covid-19 pandemic, but has set the country on the path of growth.
He said that continuing from where the Akufo-Addo government will end its mandate, the next NPP government, led by Dr. Bawumia, will lead with bold solutions, adding that that it was what the manifesto was about.
PACE SETTER
Addressing the gathering, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, indicated that the party was setting the pace by being the first to launch its 2024 manifesto, after being the first to elect a Muslim as the flagbearer.
He said he trusted “Dr. Bawumia and I know he will be a good leader for us (Ghana).” Highlighting some qualities of a good leader, Justin Kodua Frimpong intimated that Dr. Bawumia fits the criteria.
In a video played at the auditorium, former President John Agyekum Kufuor called for unity, going into the elections.
He reiterated his conviction that Dr. Bawumia was “the man of the moment”, arguing that the world was moving digital, which is what the NPP presidential candidate is championing.
He said the NPP was presenting “a candidate that will digitalize the economy” and a candidate that understands geo-politics and thus urged Ghanaians to receive Dr. Bawumia, who “is “insightful and respectful.”
