The Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, has given assurance to Ghanaians that development projects and key social intervention programmes will not be affected if government agrees to an IMF programme.
Abena Osei-Asare indicated that government will protect social intervention programmes such as school feeding among others under the IMF programme.
“We want to assure people that we have been here [at the IMF] before and irrespective of that we still ensured development and this time will be no different. So, like I am saying the government will do everything possible to protect social intervention programmes that we believe will protect livelihoods and also cause the people who are economically low to thrive.”
Abena Osei-Asare
According to the Deputy Finance Minister, government has plans in place that it believes will help stabilize the economy.
“Other bilateral neighbors will also come in to help us in building back the economy.
“In 2017 to 2019, we still implemented the school feeding under an IMF programme and we even expanded it. In 2017 when we came it was around 1.3 million children [benefiting from school feeding], but in 2019 we had move to almost two million children under IMF programme. In September 2017 under an IMF programme we did implement Free Senior High School programme.”
Abena Osei-Asare
Solicit input from experts
Meanwhile, the former Finance Minister under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Seth Terkper, has suggested to the government to solicit input from experts beyond the governing New Patriotic Party as it engages the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for bailout.
Terkper averred that government must hold a national forum to help solicit non partisan inputs before meeting the IMF team.
“If we really want to make this IMF issue strictly non partisan then I would suggest that the stalwarts on both sides be engaged on a national forum so that the brains come from all sides.”
Seth Terkper
The former Finance Minister stated that most of the discussions that are being made have already been touched upon by some academics. As such, he urged government to engage them and get the experience on board to facilitate Ghana’s future.
“A national forum will give us the opportunity to come to a consensus that will better place us in discussing terms with the IMF. This is my opinion, which John Mahama has already suggested.”
Seth Terkper
Seth Terkper further stated that the rippling effect of the current global economic crisis, especially on Africa, is a clear indication that countries must be prepared for emergencies. He noted that crises of such nature are inevitable, adding the world must always be prepared for them.
The former Finance Minister posited that it was unfortunate the New Patriotic Party (NPP) then in opposition “belittled” the crisis that hit the John Mahama administration. He averred that the turn of events should serve as a big lesson for everyone.
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