Key points in NDC’s 2020 manifesto

The main opposition National Democratic Congress on Monday September 7,2020 launched its manifesto for the 2020 polls.

Below are highlights of the manifesto

The next NDC/Mahama government will:

1. Create one million sustainable jobs in four (4) years (250,000 jobs per years) with decent wages dubbed “EDWUMAPA”. This will include both private and public sector jobs.

NB: NABCO beneficiaries will be retained permanently and given decent wages.

2. Provide Free Primary Health Care for all Ghanaians. Under this policy, any Ghanaian who visits a CHPS compound, or health center or clinic or polyclinic or District hospital will be treated for free.

NB: This policy will complement the NHIS which will apply to only secondary and tertiary health facilities.

3. Absorb 50% of the school fees of all tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year.
4. Improve and continue the implementation of free SHS.

• abolish the double-track system
• expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas.
• promote the use of IT and provide free Wi-Fi in schools to enhance performance of students
• provide students and teachers with free tablets loaded with relevant content to facilitate teaching and learning
• address challenges with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS)

3. Pay all customers of the collapsed financial institutions their locked-up funds in full within our first year in office.
4. Roll out the Big Push policy; a $10 billion investment in infrastructure (Roads, railway, hospitals, markets, schools, etc.) that will create sustainable jobs. Note that, only local materials and contractors will be used for these projects.

• A component of the Big Push includes a transportation plan which will involve completion of the Eastern Corridor road, dualisation of major Highways in Ghana, construction of the Western Corridor road. Some of the specific transport projects under the Big Push will include the following:
• Complete the Eastern Corridor Road
• Dualize Accra-Kumasi Highway
• Dualize Accra-Takoradi Highway
• Dualize Accra-Aflao Highway
• ReingineerTem-HoHighway
• Port Infrastructure at Keta
• Bridge over Oti River
• Volivo to Dorfor bridge over the Southern Volta River
• Commence construction of Western Corridor Highway stretching from Axim to Elubo, Enchi Asawinso, Goaso, Sunyani, Wenchi, Bamboi, Bole, Wa, Lawra, Hamile
• Continue Expansion of Takoradi Port to Sekondi to improve the handling of mineral ores and other natural resources
• Implement the Golden Triangle/Central Corridor to improve transport and access covering Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi, Kintampo, Tamale, Bolgatanga, Paga

3. Increase maternity leave from three (3) months to four (4) months and introduce seven (7) days paternity leave.
4. establish a Cancer and Kidney Disease Trust Fund to support Ghanaians who need assistance for such conditions
5. employ the backlog of qualified health professionals.

• establish a Professor Jacob Plange-Rhule Endowment Fund for medical and surgical specialists training
• implement tax waivers in order to assist health workers acquire means of transport to respond to emergency calls
• establish a housing scheme for health workers and provide residential facilities at all health facilities for health workers
• scale up the training of Physician Assistants and emergency physicians
• construct Regional Hospitals in the six new regions, and the Western Region
• Provide district hospitals in districts where there is none

3. small businesses will be exempted entirely from corporate and personal income tax

• corporate income tax for medium size companies will be reduced from the current 25% to 15%
• newly established medium-sized companies that employ up to twenty (20) staff will be exempted entirely from the payment of corporate income tax for one year

3. Legalize Okada
4. Law banning importation of salvage cars will be scrapped
5. Provide Free TVET at secondary and tertiary levels
6. Introduce a National Apprenticeship program (NAP). Under this program Ghanaians desirous to learn a craft will be trained by government for free, provided with apprenticeship allowances during their training, and provided with the necessary tool-kits for them to setup businesses after their successful completion of the apprenticeship program.
7. abolish the mandatory national service and teacher licensure examinations for graduate teachers

• restore automatic employment of newly trained teachers
• fast track promotions and applications for academic progression
• provide teachers with free tablets to facilitate teaching and learning
• implement a special regime allowing teachers to own vehicles under affordable terms

3. review the Legal Profession Act in consultation with stakeholders, and establish a Council for Legal Education and Training, to accredit certified law faculties to run the Professional Law Course subject to the oversight supervision of the Council.
4. Student Loan;

• resource the Student Loan Trust Fund to make timely and adequate payments to students
• increase students’ loans to be commensurate with prevailing educational costs
• abolish the requirement of guarantors as a pre-condition for accessing student loans to enable more students who need financial assistance access the loan.
• make loan repayment effective on beneficiaries gaining employment after school
• Re-introduce the Student Loan Plus scheme to assist students who gain admissions into tertiary institutions access loans to pay for their admission and school fees.

3. Pensions Sector
   A next NDC government will introduce a new Pension Scheme for organised groups in the informal sector of the Ghanaian economy, specifically:

a. Cocoa and Cashew Farmers
b. Driver Unions such as GPRTU, PROTOA and Co-operatives
c. Ghana Union of Traders Association
d. Beauticians and Hairdressers Associations
e. Dressmakers and Tailors Associations
f. Garages Associations
g. Artisans Association of Ghana
h. Farmers and Fishermen Associations

Also, the next NDC government shall:

• amend National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) to allow contributing workers who lose their jobs suddenly due to natural occurrences such as the COVID-19 epidemic, to be paid some allowances while they search for new opportunities
• amend National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) to allow workers who have contributed for a period of ten (10) to fifteen (15) years to use their contributions as collateral to access mortgage loans
• amend the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) to reintroduce the CAP 30 Pension Scheme for security agencies.
• pay pensioners an annual thirteenth month bonus.

1. Marine and Riverine Fishes
   The NDC Government will establish modern fish markets and cold stores along the major fish landing sites such as Tema New Town, Cape Coast, Shama, Sogakofe, Yeji, Kpando Torkor, Biriwa, Asesewa, Discove, Kpong and equip them with smoking and processing facilities.
2. Zongo and deprived communities

• establish two Islamic Senior High Schools in the southern and northern belts for the Zongo communities
• award scholarships to brilliant but needy students in Zongo communities at the basic level to the tertiary level, with special focus on girls and medical and nursing students
• support Arabic teachers in the Makaranta with monthly allowances
• enroll youth in Zongo and Inner Cities into the National Apprenticeship Programme as well as the free technical and vocational education and training (free TVET)
• provide start-up capital for business owners and earmark Funds for the ‘Soyayya Development Fund’.
• work with the Hajj Board to make Hajj more affordable to prospective pilgrims
• give representation to Zongo Chiefs and other denominations on the Hajj Board to ensure easy facilitation of Hajj
• ensure that a representative from the Muslim Umma is placed on the board of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
• facilitate the establishment of morgues in accordance with Islamic customs and practices and collaborate with the Ministry of Health to set up focal teams responsible for procedures that are compliant with Islamic customs and practices at all state morgues

1. Cocoa Sector Strategic Policies & Interventions

• Free Healthcare for Cocoa Farmers
  The next NDC Government will:

a. provide Free Primary Healthcare for all cocoa farmers and exempt all cocoa farmers from NHIS premium payment for secondary and tertiary care

c. create a biometric database of all cocoa farmers and made available at all cocoa clinics so that at any point in time, cocoa farmers and their dependents can have access to free healthcare at the cocoa clinics in the various cocoa growing regions in Ghana. In addition to the existing Cocoa Clinics in Accra, Tafo (Eastern Region) Debiso and Kumasi, the next NDC Government will ensure COCOBOD builds well-equipped hospitals in each of the cocoa-growing regions.

• Cocoa Roads
  The next NDC Government will revive and broaden the scope of the Cocoa Roads Project implemented under the past NDC Government to cover more cocoa-growing areas and resume all abandoned cocoa road projects and pay all contractors whose certificates have not been honoured by the Akufo Addo’s NPP Government
• Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme
  The next NDC Government will ensure the establishment of a pension scheme for cocoa farmers so they can enjoy pensions in their old age as already captured under the pensions sector.
• Annual Increment in Cocoa Producer Price
  The next NDC Government will ensure the consistent annual increment of the cocoa price to make cocoa farming more attractive, especially to the youth. • Free Fertilizer and Other Agro-Inputs
  The next NDC Government will continue to provide free agro-inputs (fertiliser, insecticides, fungicides, etc.) and extension services to all cocoa farmers.