Member of Parliament for Ayawaso North, Hon Yusif Jajah has questioned the President’s plea for the Majority MPs to allow Finance Minister to complete the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund(IMF) before his dismissal.

He indicated that it is not the best of decisions to allow the Finance Minister, whose incompetence has sent the country into a dire economic situation, to remain in office because of an ongoing IMF negotiations as Ghanaians have lost trust in his competence.

“You are saying the person has started negotiations with the IMF so he should be allowed to complete it, you should know that this is the very person who said from the beginning that he would not go to the IMF so you should know that this person doesn’t believe in the IMF.”
Hon Yusif

Speaking in an interview on Friday, October 28, he noted that the Finance Minister was compelled to sought the support of the IMF and so therefore not neccessary to keep him until negotiation ends.

” He was compelled to go to the IMF and you are saying he started it so he must be allowed to complete it.”
Hon Yusif

Mr Yusif stated that the Majority MPs from the finance minister’s own party do not want him to worsen the economic crises that is why they called for his resignation so that a new minister could be appointed to introduce new policies and programs to rescue the economy.

He expressed his disappointment in the Majority MPs for compromising their position to allow the finance minister whose previous budgets have not helped the country to continue with his budget.

“Mark my words if the IMF program kick-starts, then they will tell us again that he knows how to roll it out so he must be allowed to roll it out for us to get results”
Hon Yusif

Mr Yusif who is also a member of the Finance and Economic Committee of Parliament assured that the minority group will however continue with the parliamentary process they have initiated for Ken Ofori-Atta’s dismissal.

Ghana’s talks with IMF Near completion

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed Ghana’s negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is nearing completion.

The President noted that this will have a major impact on the Ghanaian economy.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on moves to revive the economy, Nana Akufo-Addo stated he will need the support of all.

“We are talking and, hopefully, concluding soon. These important negotiations that we are going to have will have a positive impact on the Ghanaian economy in the months immediately ahead.”
President Akuffo Addo

President Akuffo Addo has pleaded with some 80 members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament who joined many individuals and institutions to demand the immediate dismissal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, due to his inability to salvage Ghana’s economic crises, to give him sometime to complete the IMF deal.

The Ministry of Finance has disclosed, government and the IMF have reached a clear path towards the final details of a programme with the goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement by the end of 2022.

This follows meetings between the Government and the IMF advancing negotiations towards a Fund-supported Programme in Washington (D.C) on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Under-pressure Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta stated that government will fast-track negotiations with the IMF to ensure key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 budget statement.