Ghana Still First In Development Goals

By Patrick Ampong-Baidoo

The United Nation’s Development Program (UNDP) Human Development Report on Ghana, released on Wednesday, has commended government for making strides to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 1.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.

Goal 1 seeks to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
The 198-page report covered almost all the human development areas of the Ghanaian society. It touched mainly on the causes and effects and made workable recommendations which will enable the marginalized or vulnerable in society to effectively benefit from national development and empowerment policies and programs.

It was launched on the theme, “Towards a more inclusive society”, and commended government for making active strides in poverty reduction, improvement in socio-economic development, good governance, youth and gender empowerment.

The report as well disclosed that the country was the first in Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 1.

The nation was therefore applauded for the successes it chalked in halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty from 36 per cent in 1991/1992 to 18.2 per cent in 2005/2006, with a decline in overall poverty incidences from 51.75 per cent in 1991/1992 to 28.5 per cent in 2005/2006.

Mr. Daouda Toure, UNDP Resident Representative, during the launch of the Report, tasked Ghanaians to work hard towards the attainment of a more inclusive society since that formed an integral part of national development.

The report was put together by some members of Ghanaian academia with assistance from the Ministries of Manpower, Youth and Employment, and Finance and Economic Planning, the National Development Planning Commission, Ghana Statistical Service and other UN agencies.

He stated, “Although progress registered by the country had led to wealth creation and poverty reduction, equitable distribution still remained a challenge” and thus commended government for the recent allocation of budgetary resources for the Northern Development Fund aimed at developing the three northern regions.

He further noted that the principles of meaningful human rights could only be realized if the nation is able to escape from degrading poverty and also rely on a strong inclusive society.

The resident representative as well applauded government for its decision to help improve the lot of the three northern regions by introducing the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Program.

“It will bring them to the mainstream of economic development of the country,” he said, adding “UNDP and the UN will ensure continuous assistance which will offer timely and relevant technical and logistical support which would ensure effective collaboration in the improvement of lives in Ghana”.

Chairman for the function and a Member of the Council of State, Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe, said though poverty level in the country had lowered generally, the numbers in poverty category in the three northern regions were still too high.

He said the various forms of social exclusion had decreased from 31.4 percent in 1991/1992 to 17.6 per cent in 2005/2006 and challenged stakeholders to ensure an all-inclusive society.

Mr. Mike Hammond, Country Director of the Department for International Department (DFID), praised the nation for its impressive legislative framework to protect the vulnerable in society and also for being one of the first African nations to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty.

He bemoaned instances in the report whereby disabled persons were not benefiting from the formal sector, the three northern regions were still underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure, and women and children less likely to benefit from formal sector job placement compared to their male counterparts.

Ghana Business & Finance of Friday, 15 February 2008 - Ghana Still First In Development Goals