General News of Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Source: 3news.com

IMF programme will be Ghana’s last – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama President John Dramani Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that the country will no longer go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for any help after the current three-year extended credit facility.

He says the current facility will be Ghana’s last.

“This is our ultimate IMF programme,” President Mahama said.

He made this known at the 10th Quadrennial Delegates Congress of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Taking place at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Congress is scheduled to end on Thursday. It is being held on the theme: “Building workers power for decent work and national development”.

Outgoing Secretary General of TUC Dr Kofi Asamoah asked government to abandon the IMF programme and employ local experts to implement home-grown policies recommended at the 2014 National Economic Forum in Senchi.

But responding to Dr Asamoah’s suggestion, President Mahama said: “This is an IMF programme to end all IMF programmes”.

The IMF deal was reached in February, 2015 after talks to join the programme began in August, 2014.

The deal was to boost confidence of investors in Ghana’s economy.

The country has so far received a total of $347.7 million in three tranches from the IMF.