Ken Ofori-Atta at the town hall meeting in Tamale
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has assured Ghanaians that the country will not go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.
“ We are not going to the IMF whatever we do we are not going back, the consequences are dire we are a proud nation, we have the resources we have the capacity so don’t let anybody tell you otherwise we are not people of short sight we are the shining star of Africa and we can do what we want to do if only we can speak that one language and ensure we burden share in the issues ahead.”
He made this known at the third edition of the town hall meeting on E-Levy in Tamale in the Northern region.
Mr. Atta made this statement following speculations that Ghana is likely to go to the IMF for a bailout due to the country’s debt.
Responding to the issue of protection of the public purse, the finance minister indicated that the blame should not only go to the politicians but also the public servants who are employed to collect revenue for the government.
“ All of us as citizens should be responsible for the leakages in our systems because 59% of the revenue comes from you that I collect but amazingly I am not the one who collects it but rather your colleagues so if your colleagues are not interested in collecting what they should collect and then you come around to tell me to give you money that your colleagues did not collect where are we in this equation and so these are some of the honest conversations we should be having so you come to ask for more money and you are the same people who collect or refuse to collect and then you want me to distribute something you haven’t given me.”
The Finance Minister lamented the continued arguments regarding E-Levy which has resulted in the downgrading of Ghana.
“ The downgrading is not a technical thing it means that if I go out there to try and get a billion now I am going to pay fifty million dollars more a year so ten years will be five hundred million dollars because we are arguing blindly without looking at the data.”
He urged Ghanaians to sit up and choose Ghana first instead of engaging in partisan politics at the expense of the country.
The Minister noted that the issue to be tackled now is about the country’s debt so that the country can sustain it going forward to be able to pay for it.
Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for Information assured that the majority is committed to continuing with engagement with the minority in parliament and the public before they go back to parliament on the E-Levy.
The government intends to create one million jobs through a YouStart initiative where the youth will be supported with funds to build their businesses as well as supporting infrastructure development such as schools, roads, hospitals through the E-Levy.
The minority in parliament has however rejected a reduction of the E-levy from 1.75% to 1.50% by the government and has continuously insisted that the E-levy must be rejected entirely.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale