Our History
Proposals for the establishment of an effective system of development planning within the framework of the policy of decentralisation were initially prepared by a team of Hungarian Consultants (TESCO) under the auspices of the UNDP.
TESCO's proposals were considered at a high-level Workshop in March 1987, and the recommendations of the Workshop endorsedthe TESCO proposal for establishing a public sector-planning agency, autonomous of the then Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MFEP).
The decision to establish the National Development Planning Commission was formally announced by the PNDC in September 1987.
A Preparatory Committee, the Transitional Implementation Team (TIT), was accordingly set up to undertake the preparations necessary for the establishment of the NDPC. The TIT (or Team) drew up detailed proposals for the Organisation and Structure of the NDPC and an Interim Operational Manual.
The Team also prepared the first draft of the "National Development Planning Law" as the legal basis for the Commission.
The draft law underwent a number of revisions and was accepted by Government in 1989, but was never promulgated. However,early 1990, Government decided to proceed, administratively with the implementation of the TIT's recommendation.
A Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM) for the Establishment of the NDPC was set up under the Chairmanship of Lt. General Arnold Quainoo and the Commission moved into Flagstaff House on 2nd April 1990.
Later, Lt. Colonel Mensah K. Gbedemah who was the Secretary to the PREPCOM from February 1991 to June 1994 was appointed as the Technical Head of NDPC.).
From June 1994 to February 1995, Dr. Kobena G. Erbynn, replaced Lt. Colonel Mensah Gbedemah in the same position. The PREPCOM served as the Management and the Interim Board of NDPC until 15th February 1995 when the Government announced a Governing Board of the Commission. This was in accordance with the new National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) Act, 1994 (Act 479) which had previously been enacted by Parliament in September 1994.
Even though Act 479 of September 1994 did officially establish NDPC, it was not until 15th June 1995 that the Commission was formally inaugurated by H.E. The President Flt. Lt. J.J.Rawlings at a swearing-in ceremony at the Castle, Osu, Accra.
The first Officers of NDPC (under Act 479) were Mr. Paul Victor Obeng (Presidential Advisor on Govern-mental Affairs) as Chairman; Prof. E.A. Boateng (former Head of Environmental Protection Council and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast) as Vice Chairman and Dr. Kobena G.Erbynn as Acting Director-General of NDPC. Lt. General Arnold Quainoo stayed on as a Member of the 35-member Commission.
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