In what is being hailed as the most significant attempt to depoliticize the Ghanaian economy since the dawn of the Fourth Republic, the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) has unveiled a blueprint to make the National Development Plan (NDP) legally binding on all future governments.
Presenting the final report to President John Dramani Mahama, Committee Chairman Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh proposed a series of “justiciable” constitutional amendments that would effectively chain political manifestos and national budgets to a long-term technical vision.
“Constitutional rules, institutions, and practices that govern the ownership, management, and coordination of Ghana’s land, natural resources, public finances, and investments, and how these arrangements shape accountability, development planning, and long-term national outcomes – must be focused on”
Constitutional Review Committee
The CRC noted that for decades, the “winner-takes-all,” system has allowed ruling parties to treat the national treasury as a tool for fulfilling manifesto promises, often at the expense of long-term national priorities.
Prof. Prempeh’s committee seeks to kill this “ideological ping-pong,” by requiring that every Bill introduced in Parliament, and every annual budget presented by the Finance Minister, must include a memorandum explicitly stating how it aligns with the NDP.
Under the proposed amendment to Article 106 of Ghana’s constitution, any legislation that departs from the National Development Plan must be referred back to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for a technical audit.
More significantly, the Committee recommends that these obligations be made justiciable. This means that for the first time in Ghana’s history, a citizen or a civil society organization could sue the government for constitutional non-compliance if a budget or a law ignores the long-term national interest.
“To ensure meaningful mainstreaming of the National Development Plan into policy and law-making, the Committee recommends that the Constitution be amended to provide that every Bill introduced in Parliament shall be accompanied by a memorandum which indicates how the proposed legislation advances and is aligned with the National Development Plan”
Constitutional Review Committee
Manifesto Audit
Perhaps the most controversial and transformative recommendation is the proposed oversight of political manifestos.
The CRC is moving to mandate that all presidential candidates and political parties submit their manifestos to the NDPC at least six months before a general election. The Commission would then be required to “certify” whether these political programs are formally consistent with the Directive Principles of State Policy and the National Development Plan.
While the NDPC would be barred from ranking or criticizing the merits of a candidate’s ideas to preserve its neutrality, it would be empowered to notify the public of any “inconsistencies.”
This creates a “technical firewall,” against populist promises that are financially or structurally inconsistent – even disruptive – with the nation’s long-term capabilities. According to the CRC, this effectively forces political parties to build their manifestos on top of the national plan, rather than instead of it.
Furthermore, to ensure that the National Development Plan is not merely a “President’s plan,” the CRC recommended that the NDP no longer takes effect simply upon submission to the Jubilee House.
Instead, it must be laid before Parliament and approved by a two-thirds majority. This “supermajority” requirement is a deliberate attempt to force a bipartisan consensus, ensuring that the plan survives changes in government because the opposition of today was a co-author of the plan yesterday.
The Committee also proposed a radical expansion of the NDPC’s membership to insulate it from political patronage.
The new-look Commission would include the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Government Statistician, and representatives from the National House of Chiefs, alongside an Engineer nominated by professional associations.
This shift from political appointees to institutional representatives is designed to ensure that development planning is driven by data and engineering feasibility rather than electoral cycles.
Implementation and Accountability
In the implementation phase, if the amendments pass, sitting Presidents will be required to report annually to Parliament on the progress of the NDP – not just as part of a speech, but as a written report with “measurable progress, challenges, and corrective measures.”
“The Constitution shall require the Minister responsible for Finance to present an annual budget that expressly indicates how proposed expenditures advance the goals and objectives of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
“Article 67 shall be amended to require the President to report annually to Parliament on the steps taken to implement the National Development Plan, including the progress made and measures adopted to ensure alignment across the government”
Constitutional Review Committee
The CRC’s report represents a high-stakes gamble on technocracy. By making the National Development Plan binding on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) as well as the central government, the Committee is attempting to synchronize development from the grassroots to the Jubilee House.
The proposal that any amendment to the plan must undergo a technical review by the NDPC and a two-thirds vote in Parliament ensures that the “goalposts” cannot be moved easily.
“No proposed amendment to the National Development Plan shall be laid before Parliament unless it is accompanied by a written statement setting out the purpose of the amendment and its implications for national development coherence”
Constitutional Review Committee
As the nation moves into 2026, the debate will center on whether Ghana is ready to trade the “flexibility” of political manifestos for the “discipline” of a justiciable national plan. If Prof. Prempeh’s vision is realized, the 2028 election will be the first where voters judge candidates not just on their promises, but on their “Certificate of Compliance,” from the NDPC.
The report arrives at a moment of deep skepticism regarding the sustainability of Ghanaian development, where new administrations frequently abandon the projects of their predecessors to pursue partisan flagship programs.
By making the NDP a constitutional anchor, the CRC aims to transform the National Development Planning Commission from a “toothless advisory body into a powerful constitutional gatekeeper.”
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