The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has presented certificates of approval to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), whose Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs) successfully passed the Commission’s review process on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
The review exercise was undertaken in line with NDPC’s mandate under the National Development Planning (System) Act, 1994 (Act 480) and reinforced by the National Development Planning (System) Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2232).
Approved institutions were made up of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, and NDPC itself.
In her welcome address, the Director-General of NDPC, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, described the certification as a milestone in advancing the Resetting-Ghana Agenda, which is anchored on job creation, accountability, and shared prosperity. She noted that the MTDPs were developed around five key dimensions: economic development; social development; environment, infrastructure and spatial development; governance and institutional development; and international relations.
Dr. Amoah revealed that eight (8) MDA plans and two (2) RCC plans have met the requirements for certification, while others remain under review.
She emphasised that certification marks the beginning of implementation and urged MDAs and RCCs to ensure that their programmes translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
The Chairman of the Commission and Senior Advisor to the President on the Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, highlighted the significance of the certification process, stressing that it is not a formality but a prerequisite for budgetary allocation, cautioning that “no certificate, no cash.”
He underscored the alignment of the exercise with government’s Resetting-Ghana Agenda, which prioritises fiscal discipline, institutional strengthening, and economic diversification.
Dr. Thompson encouraged public institutions to channel resources into high-impact interventions rather than dispersing them thinly across multiple projects.
He further stressed that planning and budgeting must go hand in hand, adding that the true success of these plans will be measured by tangible results such as resilient infrastructure, decent jobs, improved public services, and enhanced quality of life.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Augustus Kwesi Adu, Director responsible for Policy Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, reiterated the strong link between certified development plans and funding.
He cautioned that no allocations would be made without an approved plan and reminded institutions that implementation must strictly follow what has been approved.
Certified MDAs and RCCs expressed appreciation to their staff for their efforts invested in preparing the plans and commended NDPC for its support throughout the process.
They also appealed to the Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely release of funds, emphasising that financial support is critical to transforming strategies into concrete outcomes.