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SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE 2016 FLAGBEARER OF PPP, DR PAPA KWESI NDUOM ON THE INTRODUCTION OF PPPs PRESIDENTIAL POLICY TEAM

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15 AUGUST 2016

INTRODUCTION
I am pleased to introduce to the people of Ghana, another innovation from the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) – the PPP Presidential Policy Team. The foundation for our Presidential Policy Team or PPT, is our Policy Document which was officially launched during our Convention on Saturday, July 16, 2016. The PPT is another way we are showing to Ghanaians our unique brand of politics which focuses on what we can do to change Ghana for the better. When Ghanaians get to meet the PPT members and experience their competence, they will agree with us wholeheartedly the fact that this party, PPP, has c. available, qualified and experienced men and women we will offer as part of an inclusive team to take charge of Ghana in January 2017 and make it a better nation for all its citizens. Our focus remains, job creation through competent incorruptible leadership.
Unlike other political parties such as the NDC and NPP, we have already made public our Policy Document that clearly sets out our reform agenda and job creation strategy. While others are busying about launching campaigns and running around the country making promises they know very well they cannot keep, the PPP is strategizing and doing research on what to do when in power to make our country great and strong with a prosperous people.

PPP 2016 presidential policy team introduction by dr nduom

WHO WE ARE
We are not “Social Democrat” or “Property Owning” people. We are not slaves to any foreign ideology. We know and understand the national tragedy we as a people face. We are a people made poor by bad governance practices and a leadership prepared to accept less than what our God-given, abundant natural resources must provide. Our orientation and our core beliefs about the world we live in are Progressive. This means we believe in broad-based human progress that is felt by the people. We believe that under our leadership, Ghana shall move from a third world nation to a first world nation by working with a great sense of duty and urgency within one generation. We cannot afford to waste anytime while in government. This is another reason why we have created the PPT to prepare now so that we are ready to work for Ghana from day one.

INCORRUPTIBLE LEADERSHIP
As written in our Policy Document, “… the PPP seeks the opportunity to implement an efficient Agenda for Accelerated Change that is built on Incorruptible Leadership, Education, Healthcare and Jobs. We will implement the Agenda in the spirit of inclusiveness that will enable us to use the best Ghanaians; full participation of women, youth and people living with disabilities; and above all a leadership that is incorruptible. We will tackle corruption head on, to eliminate waste, make savings and double government revenue which we will use to pay for our transformational initiatives in education, healthcare and job creation. We will also ensure cost-savings through diligence to augment our development budget.”

PRESIDENTIAL POLICY TEAMS
The PPP Presidential Policy Teams have been formed around the following important agenda items that also represent priority areas for a future PPP Administration. The Teams will be convened by the Team Leaders to engage in research, analysis and detailed policy preparation for the consideration of the National Committee of the Party prior to the December 7, 2016 elections. Their main purpose will be to recommend how a PPP Administration should implement our priority policies including funding and human resources considerations. Members of the PPTs will speak for the Presidential Candidate and the party in their areas of expertise.

1. Constitutional Reforms & Good Governance: reform our constitution to strengthen parliament, elect district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives; create a strong independent public prosecutor to root out government corruption; and make Parliament truly independent by ensuring that a Member of Parliament cannot serve as a Minister of State at the same time. Work with Parliament to pass the Right to Information Bill to bring transparency and encourage accountability in government.

2. Public Sector Reforms: reform state institutions, make government efficient and raise revenue to be able to pay public servants well to motivate them to facilitate the work of the private sector and Ghanaian society in general. Create a Ministry of Public Service to lead the task of continuous reform and modernisation of state institutions. Reduce the number of ministers of state to 40 and rely on professional civil and local servants to ensure efficient administration.

3. Preventable Diseases: ensure a cleaner environment free from preventable diseases like malaria, cholera, monococal meningitis and guinea worm. Just like countries in the Americas, Europe and elsewhere became malaria free, so can Ghana with the right leadership from the PPP. Ensure emergency care throughout the country to save lives. Our focus will be in the area of prevention where education is the key.

4. Compulsory & Universal Education: provide Quality Education for Every Ghanaian Child. Standardize school facilities from kindergarten to Senior High, with libraries, toilets, classrooms, kitchen, housing for teachers, playground, etc.; and Ensure Free and Compulsory education in public schools from Kindergarten to Senior (including ICT training). We will deploy an “Education Police” to enforce the compulsory aspect of our policy. An integral part of this objective will be an objective to significantly increase vocational training so that all school leavers gain employable skills.

5. Agriculture & Food Security: provide a market to sustain our farmers and fishermen. We will use the state’s purchasing power to provide the assurance that the labor of our farmers and fishermen will not be in vain. Construct good roads that link farms to market centres to ensure that our farmers are able to transport their produce for sale easily, as one way of reducing poverty. Address post harvest losses by reviewing specific crops and potential for processing, value addition, effective storage schemes etc. Instead of the corruption infested political gimmicks like giving out outboard motors and premix fuel, introduce and implement policies that yield aquatic abundance.
One way to provide ready market is to ensure that all basic schools on the school feeding program as well as Senior High Schools patronize strictly, made in Ghana commodities for cooking.

6. Financing Energy: implement solutions with a sense of urgency to meet domestic needs for industry and residential use. To enable us achieve this objective, we will provide tax incentives to enable development of alternative sources of fuel and power – bio fuels and solar. Aim to ensure that the contribution from renewable sources of energy reaches in a decade, a minimum of 10% of what we need. Provide adequate funding to deal with generation, transmission and distribution challenges.

7. Economic Infrastructure: To accelerate job creation nationally, build an inter-region highway with the same high quality throughout the country to open up the country for investment and development. In the same way, implement with a sense of urgency plans to extend railways to the four corners of the country to facilitate the movement of goods and people.

8. Sports: a comprehensive sports programme to instill discipline and promote better health. The comprehensive sports programme will ensure that with government support, we begin to develop future world and Olympic champions. Our performance at successive Olympic Games have not been befitting of a country of our stature.

9. Domestic Enterprise Development: improve Ghana’s business climate to enable investment in job creation so that our people will stay at home to help develop the country and its economy. We will be relentless in providing support to Ghanaian industry and our farmers and fishermen using low interest loans, technical assistance, tax incentives and priority access to the Ghanaian market.

10. Women’s Enterprise Development: to train, encourage and promote the growth and development of women entrepreneurs in the country. This will include technical assistance, low interest loans and the setting aside of portions of government contracts to enterprises founded and managed by women.

11. Technology: ensure application of technology to enable the implementation of national objectives in areas such as national identification, drivers licensing, passports, criminal information systems; provide support to ICT entrepreneurs to make Ghana a hub for technology product development and innovation.

Now, I wish to introduce some of the members of our Presidential Policy Teams who are here present with us.

Overall, the National Policy Advisor Mr. Kofi Asamoah-Siaw will serve as the Convener for the Presidential Policy Team. Mr. Ladi Nylander will be our lead person in the key policy area of job creation and Domestic Enterprise Development.

CONCLUSION
What we have done today is proof that our brand of politics is unique, exceptional and just what Ghanaians need to give them hope and confidence. Our choice of policy areas mirrors the challenges the country faces? Our inclusive approach will ensure that we select the best men and women to find and implement the solutions needed.

“We believe in Ghanaian excellence. We believe in Ghanaian prosperity. We believe in all of the Ghanaian people. Our pact with you is that, once elected, we will fight for dramatically accelerated developmental progress. We will fight to move Ghana away from the maintenance of mediocrity, the culture of indiscipline, the constant failure of leadership, the cruelty of resource mismanagement and the tragedy of low expectations for developing African nations such as Ghana.”

“True progress cannot be obtained without a unified Ghana. The PPP is asking for your votes so that we can create an inclusive, united Ghanaian society – TEAM GHANA. It is this new national unity that will reinvent Ghana. We, promise to build one solid Team Ghana by re-inventing our Ghanaian selves, our attitudes and our way of life. The Progressive People’s Party has arrived amidst massive changes to the Ghanaian Nation. The PPP has emerged with the courage to stand up and say we are not just here to give empty promises to win power.”

It is our hope that you will refer to members of our Presidential Policy Teams when you have questions or need clarification on any subject area. When our detailed policy papers are available, make them public to enable the people to understand them, ask questions and make contributions. From time to time, the PPTs will host media and public events to share their ideas with the people.

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