The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, has called for a cultural shift in time management, stressing that discipline, improved service standards, and stronger revenue mobilisation are essential to Ghana’s development transformation.

Speaking at a strategic regional consultative engagement held at the Bono Regional Coordinating Council with MMDAs and key stakeholders on the preparation of the Consolidated National Development Plan, Dr Thompson emphasised that development is deliberate, not accidental. “We often speak about financial resources and human resources, but we rarely speak about time as a resource. Yet time is the only resource that, once lost, can never be recovered,” he stated, cautioning that habitual delays in public programmes come at a national cost.

“When a programme is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and we start at 10:30 a.m., we have lost 30 minutes permanently. If this becomes a pattern, we are not just losing minutes; we are losing development opportunities,” he stressed. He urged Assemblies to treat time as a strategic national asset and embed discipline within their institutional culture.

Beyond time management, the NDPC Chairman highlighted the importance of service delivery standards, particularly in the tourism sector. “Tourism is not only about castles and natural sites. It is about experience. Customer care is not optional; it is an economic strategy,” he said, noting that poor service attitudes, weak safety standards, and deteriorating facilities undermine Ghana’s competitiveness.

On revenue mobilisation, Dr Thompson described the country’s heavily informal economy as a major structural challenge. “Nearly 90 per cent of businesses operate in the informal sector. This means limited tax compliance and a narrow revenue base. If we do not formalise our local economies, we will always depend heavily on central transfers,” he warned.

“Development requires resources. Resources require systems. Systems require discipline,” he concluded.

The Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, highlighted the importance of credible planning in driving accountability. “Planning is not merely a procedural requirement; it is a strategic obligation. The quality of our development outcomes depends largely on the quality of our planning processes,” she said.

She emphasised that development plans determine performance assessments, funding eligibility, and audit benchmarks.

“Planning is not about producing a document; it is about producing a credible roadmap for development,” Dr Amoah added.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Regional Minister, Nar-Ire Puobenyere David reaffirmed the region’s commitment to the national planning process. “Development must not only be planned on paper but felt in the daily lives of our people. It must reach our farmers, empower our entrepreneurs, and revitalise our communities,” he stated.

The delegation was joined by the Commission’s Regional Representative, Dr Thomas Agyei. Certificates were presented to districts in the Bono Region whose Medium-Term Development Plans for the 2026–2029 planning period had been approved.

END

NDPC PR-UNIT