Statement by NPP in Western Region

1 STATEMENT BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY Delivered by Kwadwo Baah Date: 19th November 2015 Venue: Kingstel Hotel, Takoradi -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Good morning Mr. Chairman, Nananom, ladies and gentlemen, The history of indigenous development plans started in 1949 when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah outlined in the Convention People’s Party manifesto his intention to create a socialist state where all men and women shall have equal opportunity and where there will be no capitalist exploitation. This was followed by various plans. 1951 to 1956, 1957 to 1959, and 1959 to 1964. Since then, we have had the poverty reduction strategies and the shared growth agendas, among others. All these plans intended to restructure the Ghanaian economy based on the false doctrines of redistribution and social justice that inhibit individuals from reaching their economic potential, rather than through growth and jobs. These barriers forced individuals from the road to prosperity onto the paths full of potholes and obstacles that distracted the attention of individuals from their goals, drained the energy needed for productive jobs and left citizens well short of moving out of poverty. Specifically, these road blocks are in the form of taxes that raise prices and deprive individuals from getting the most of their incomes, high income taxes that discourage work and production thereby taking food from the family table; regulations that prevent individuals from pursuing their natural abilities, and lack of property rights which makes people stuck with unequal treatment before the law, unenforceable contracts and the inability to convert one form of wealth to the new, more promising opportunities such as starting a new business. Ladies and gentlemen, while the NPP believes in a development framework, we need to move away from the old roadmap to development. The development goal of a 40-year plan should be for people – rather than the state and or government, the World Bank or any other institution – to figure out how best to improve their lives. The government’s role in the 40-year framework should be to cultivate an environment in which individuals can achieve their potential and make the most of their abilities and other resources in the economy REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Statement by NPP ©NDPC, 2015

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The NPP believes that the primary obligations of the government in regard to the economy are to secure the rights of individuals, destroy the barriers to opportunity and uphold the rule of law. Economic reward should be available to all. There should be greater incentive to earn more, save more and invest in more opportunities for the future. This means more enterprise and more economic activity rather than acting as a guarantor of economic outcomes. The government should be a powerful defender of opportunities, economic growth and human flourishing. It should remove unfair obstacles for economic markets, it should break down the artificial structures that prevent competition, and keep taxes very low, reduce government spending and prevent the over-regulation of private enterprise. This should be the primary focus of the 40-year plan. We thank you and God bless you.

REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Statement by NPP ©NDPC, 2015