Government making progress on achieving SDGs – Planning Minister

Government says the country is making steady progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before the 2030 deadline.

Attaining the SDGs continue to be a priority for countries across the globe despite the unique challenge each of these countries is saddled with.

Speaking to Citi News after an official opening of a joint programming consultation between the United Nations and government, the Minister for Planning, Prof. George Gyan-Baffour, noted that though the government is faced with some challenges in attaining the 17 goals, it is making some progress.

“We are closer to eliminating poverty in most of the areas. In the area of hunger, you are aware that very few Ghanaians go to sleep with empty stomach because we have bumper harvest all over the place. So we are very close to achieving the one for hunger. Our feeding programs have been expanded to ensure that, children do not go to school hungry.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he is fully committed to making Ghana a shining example in the implementation of the Agenda 2030.

He has indicated that his government is pursuing the implementation of the SDGs with a strong sense of urgency, and an unparalleled commitment to act now.

“We were the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to free ourselves from colonialism; we were the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve the goal of halving poverty, as contained in Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals; and we were the first country in Africa to eliminate trachoma,” he said.

As a start, the President noted that the 17 SDGs have been captured in Government’s Co-ordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies (2017-2024), which was adopted by Parliament in 2017, with Government’s approach to implementing the SDGs involving all stakeholders.

With attaining the SDGs requiring all the resources the nation can muster, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that, working in tandem with the private sector, he has established an Advisory Group of prominent Chief Executives who are establishing a $100 million SDGs Delivery Fund and a $200 million Green Fund to complement government’s efforts in the realisation of the SDGs.

Ghana presents progress reports on implementation of SDGs at 2019 HLPF

In July 2019, Ghana presented its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the 2019 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations (UN).

The HLPF is part of the follow-up and review arrangement for the 2030 Agenda and provides a platform for reviewing the progress of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mutual learning, and forging of partnerships to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

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