Economist Dr. John Gatsi believes government’s decision to decouple the economic planning functions from the ministry of finance will boost the nation’s plans to formulate a national development plan.

Dr Gatsi says the development is long overdue. The National Development Planning Commission will now take over the economic planning functions of the country.

The move, Dr Gatsi argues, will help the country better focus on the development and implementation of the national development plan.

“For a very long time we do not have a long-term national development plan that will engineer a coordinated development of the country, so I believe that there is now going to be focused attention by the National Development Planning Commission on medium to long term development plan for the country,” Dr. Gatsi told Starr Business.

With the current development, the NDPC’s Director-General, Dr Nii Moi Thompson has been tasked to ensure that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Municipal, Metropolitan, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), work with the Commission, to align their plans with national development priorities before they are funded by the Ministry of Finance.

Dr. Thompson said the Commission has already incorporated “soft issues” such as work attitude and “core national values” into its medium-term development framework, which are being implemented by the Government.