The Constitutional Review Committee has proposed constitutional changes that would bind Parliament to Ghana’s National Development Plan in lawmaking and budgeting, according to a report submitted to the President yesterday. The goal is to ensure consistency between development planning, legislation, and public expenditure.
The Committee links Ghana’s policy instability to legislation passed without alignment to a coherent national development framework, a practice it says has undermined investor confidence and effective planning. According to the report, laws passed without reference to a coherent national plan have contributed to regulatory volatility, fragmented spending, and short-term, politically driven decision-making.
The proposed solution is a constitutional amendment requiring every Bill introduced in Parliament to demonstrate alignment with the National Development Plan and the Directive Principles of State Policy.
According to the report submitted yesterday, “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 and the Directive Principles of State Policy.” This measure would alter how Parliament considers legislation, requiring that proposed laws reflect long-term development priorities over immediate political considerations.
More importantly for economic governance, the Committee proposes that legislation that contradicts the National Development Plan should face heightened scrutiny. The report states that “where a Bill materially departs from the National Development Plan, [it shall] expressly identify the nature of the departure and provide a reasoned justification demonstrating why such departure is necessary and consistent with the long-term national interest.” The provision establishes a framework where departures from national policies must be explained transparently and with sound reasoning, similar to practices in advanced economies.
Aligning the National Development Plan with the Constitution would give businesses and investors greater confidence in Ghana’s policy direction. Laws impacting taxation, trade, industry, energy, and infrastructure would be evaluated against the national roadmap, ensuring greater consistency and reducing the likelihood of sudden policy reversals.
Also, the Committee recommends that constitutional rules governing budgeting be tightened to ensure that public expenditure genuinely reflects national priorities. It proposes that all government spending, including the annual budget and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, must clearly demonstrate how public funds contribute to achieving the goals outlined in the National Development Plan.
As stated directly in the report, “All government appropriations, including the annual budget and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, shall indicate how public funds are to be applied to advance the objectives, priorities, and targets set out in the National Development Plan.” This provision aims to address longstanding concerns that budgets often prioritize short-term political projects over strategic investments in productivity, infrastructure, and human capital.
While the Committee permits departures from the National Development Plan, it insists that any such divergence be fully disclosed and justified. The report states, “Where any proposed expenditure materially diverges from that Plan, such divergence shall be expressly disclosed and justified.” In doing so, the reform reinforces fiscal discipline, promotes transparency, and helps ensure more stable and predictable public finances.
