Medium Term Plan

The Medium Term plan (MTP) is a strategic development plan encompassing social and economic policy, published by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion (MEPP). This document sets out the national priorities and investment programmes for five years between 2011 and 2015. It reflects the integration of climate change issues into the country's development policy.

The document provides that tackling climate change is one of the policy priorities for the country's development. It recognises climate change challenges to social and economic development and states that 'the Medium Term Plan places climate change concerns at the centre of development strategies, plans and programmes in all sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture, energy, water, forestry, mining and tourism.' The main policy objective is to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in social and economic development at national and sectoral level. To achieve this, the MTP promises the development of a national climate change strategy and a national climate change policy by the end of 2013; development of a national action plan for adaptation and mitigation by the end of 2012; and to increase the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in economic and development activities and policies at national and sectoral level by the end of 2012. Additional policy measures include the promotion of the use of evidence-based approaches to policy planning and programming related to climate change and development; the promotion of broad-based participation in the formulation and implementation of a national climate change strategy and policy; and raising awareness of national climate change strategy and policy.

The document identifies following challenges and constraints to achieve low carbon growth: existence of an uncoordinated policy and institutional framework governing climate change issues; existence of multiple and diverse organizations working on climate change; fragmented policy responses to the country's development challenges without much coordination between the Government and other stakeholders, and across sectors; and lack of sufficient funds and technical capacity to undertake policy relevant research and conduct any long term planning, undermine the development of a national climate change strategy and policy.