Drop entitlement mentality and support Akufo-Addo if he comes up with alternative programme – Pianim

An economist, Mr. Kwame Pianim, has asked all persons to drop their entitlement mentality and follow through with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo if he comes up with credible alternative programs to ameliorate the hardships Ghanaians are going through.

Mr. Pianim asked the President to take responsibility and come up with a “credible message” on the way forward and what the government is doing to tackle the situation.

“The President should take responsibility for this crisis and come up with an alternative program. [and] let us throw away our entitlement mentality and follow the president,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Paa Kwesi Asare.

He added “This is the first time I have seen such unprecedented hardships being visited on Ghana. The crisis can result in upheaval so we need to stop it now.”

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Asked whether, in his view, Ghana can seal a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before the end of the year, he answered that if Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta who has come under intense pressure to leave office, is removed from the Ministry, that can happen.

He said, “with Ken Ofori-Atta gone as Finance Minister and, if the president stands up that this is what I am going to do, I have confidence.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has announced that following several meetings held in the last few weeks in the US with the IMF, a “clear path towards the final details of a program has been agreed upon by both parties”.

In a press release on Friday, October 21, the Ministry added that a Staff-Level Agreement is targeted by the end of the year.

“A pathway towards fiscal sustainability has also been extensively discussed, and the Government of Ghana and the IMF remain fully committed to the goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement on a Programme, within the shortest possible time.”

On Thursday, October 20, the IMF Mission Team Lead, Stéphane Roudet, described the discussions with Ghanaian officials in Washington DC as “fruitful”.

“We made good progress in identifying specific policies that would restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth,” he stated at the end of the discussions.

“The IMF team and the Ghanaian authorities remain fully committed to reaching an agreement on a framework and policies for an IMF-supported program as soon as feasible.”

Mr. Roudet will lead the Team to Accra in the next few weeks for negotiations to continue.

The Finance Ministry urged Ghanaians to continue to be patient “in what is undoubtedly a troubling and challenging time for our economy, and economies globally”.

“Government will continue to work with a fierce sense of urgency to stabilize the economy and place it back on a firm trajectory of growth.”

Last month, the Managing Director of the Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, promised that the $3-billion program being sought by Ghana will be hopefully completed by end of 2022.

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Source:3news.com