The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) will be restructured and rechristened as the Northern Accelerated Development Authority (NADA) in the event that the All People’s Congress (APC) wins the 7 December polls, Mr Hassan Ayariga, flag bearer of the party has said at the launch of the party’s 2016 manifesto at the Aviation Social Centre in Accra on Thursday, 6 October.

The businessman said the restructuring will cover and focus on the three regions up north: Northern, Upper West, and Upper East.

He also said a future Ayariga administration will establish the Midlands Development Authority (MDA) which will serve as the main development agency for the middle belt of the country, covering the non-coastal areas of the Volta and Western regions, in addition to the Ashanti, Eastern, and the Brong Ahafo regions.

Additionally, the APC will set up the Central Development Authority (CDA) that will invest in, and serve as the main development agency for communities along all the coastal areas in the Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western regions.

Also, Mr Ayariga said the APC will establish the Slum & Inner City Improvement Programme (Special Zongo Improvement Initiative) to serve as a special vehicle to focus development on communities in the zongos and inner parts of cities across Ghana.

Apart from these, he said a future APC administration will also increase the share of revenues that mining communities currently receive in royalty payments.

The APC, he said, will make sure that mining communities receive a higher share. “Currently 80% of the royalty goes to government, 10% to the Minerals Commission, and 10% to the community. The APC will reduce Government’s share to 70% while doubling the community share to 20%. This will ensure more value is retained in mining communities for development.”

Together, these five programmes under the APC’s Growing Together Project, he said, will be strictly monitored and focused to implement key decentralised plans of action to tap the country’s enormous resources and boost key sectors in the various zones as well as develop the much needed infrastructure and amenities to stimulate production and job creation throughout the country.