ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS GIPC GNCC GNP GPRS GRATIS GSE GTZ (GTZ) Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Ghana National Commission on Children Gross National Product Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service Ghana Stock Exchange Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH, the German international cooperation agency for sustainable development HDI Human Development Index HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HSGIC Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee ICCES Integrated Community Centres for Employable Skills ICT Information and Communications Technology ILO International Labour Organisation IMF International Monetary Fund IOSCO International Organisation of Securities Commissions IPO Initial Public Offering IRS Internal Revenue Service JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDBS Multi-Donor Budget Support MDGs Millennium Development Goals MDPI Management Development and Productivity Institute MMDA Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies MOFA Ministry of Food and Agriculture MOU Memorandum of Understanding MP Member of Parliament MPSD Ministry for Private Sector Development: MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework MWCA Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs NAPRM-GC National APRM Governing Council NCC National Children’s Council NCCE National Commission for Civic Education NCWD National Council on Women and Development NDPC National Development Planning Commission NEPAD The New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations NIC National Insurance Commission NVTI National Vocational Training Institute