Our Economy Is In Great Difficulty -Akufo-Addo

In a televised address on the economy on Sunday night, the President of Ghana  Akufo-Addo admitted that the country’s economy is in crisis.

“For us, in Ghana, our reality is that our economy is in great difficulty. The budget drawn for the 2022 fiscal year has been thrown out of gear, disrupting our balance of payments and debt sustainability, and further exposing the structural weaknesses of our economy,” he said.

“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time. But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedeviled our economy,” the president added

President Akufo-Addo therefore urged Ghanaians to see the decision to go to the International Monetary Fund in this light adding, “We have gone to the Fund to repair, in the short term, our public finances, and restore our balance of payments, whilst we continue to work on the medium to long-term structural changes that are at the heart of our goal of constructing a resilient, robust Ghanaian economy, and building a Ghana Beyond Aid.

“I am able to report to you, my fellow Ghanaians, that the negotiations to secure a strong IMF Programme, which will support the implementation of our Post COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth and additional funding to support the 2023 Budget and development programme, are at advanced stages, and are going well,” the president said.

According to him, his government is determined to secure these arrangements quickly to bring back confidence and relief to Ghanaians saying “We are working towards reaching a deal with the IMF by the end of the year. This will give further credence to the measures Government is taking to stabilize and grow the economy, as well as shore up our currency.