President Akufo-Addo
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, has heaped praises on President Akufo-Addo and his government for effectively managing Ghana’s economy.
This was when she paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House on Monday.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms Lagarde said her outfit was impressed with the way in which government has handled the country’s economy for the past 23 months.
She said that all the economic indices point to the fact that Ghana was on the right economic path.
Ms Lagarde heads the IMF, an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty across the world.
“We are really impressed with the work that has been done because you indeed arrived in a situation that was from a micro-economic point of view, fragile,” she stated.
Prior to their coming into office, she indicated that “all the indicators were in the red and through massive work, efforts and sacrifices those indicators are turning in the right direction.”
She indicated that was part of reasons the IMF stands ready to offer any support that Ghana may require in the future since the country continues to set high standards on the African continent.
On his part, President Akufo-Addo said Ms Lagarde’s visit to Ghana is a vote of confidence in what his government was doing to rescue the Ghanaian economy.
He observed that his administration had brought the economy back on track.
He frankly told the IMF Boss that Ghana would not like to return to any IMF programme.
He said after the country had exited from the programme, it would put in place adequate measures such as a fiscal responsibility law to ensure that the finances of the country do not slip again to the point where it would require the support of the Bretton Woods institution.
The IMF Executive Board in April 2015, under the previous Mahama administration, approved a $918 million loan to Ghana to support a reform programme aimed at ensuring growth and job creation while protecting social spending.
Upon assumption of office, the Akufo-Addo administration continued with it but promised to wean the country off any IMF programme.
The government has successfully completed same and will end the programme at the end of December, 2018.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent