The General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah has said government’s economic and other policies have left Ghana in the “middle of nowhere.”
Ghana is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help the nation surmount its socio-economic challenges.
The nation together with other West African states have agreed to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) as a means of boosting trade and ensuring economic growth in the sub-region.
[contextly_sidebar id=”rdwaax3GWH3YjnO97IfhU9BcfbLTi2c8″]“Obviously, we are in the middle of nowhere because it appears that we are in conflict of policies,” he remarked.
The World Bank is also assisting Ghana to improve upon some sectors of the economy especially, education.
Although some economists and sections of the general public have kicked against the EPA and IMF’s bailout, stating that the two could lead to job cuts and a host of other undesirable effects on the people of Ghana, the government is proceeding with its plans.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News, Mornah said government’s decision to sign the EPA and run to the IMF for a bailout “that are unhealthy for economic development, then we are in the middle of nowhere.”
He described the EPA as a “huge, huge, negative policy that will have consequences on us.”
According to Mornah, the benefits that the agreement will bring to Ghanaians “will lead us nowhere just as the IMF and World Bank prescriptions will over the years have led us into massive unemployment…I have said time without number that it [IMF] is not the way out.”
The PNC’s General Secretary alleged that Mahama-led government is not telling citizens the truth in relation to the drastic reduction in donor funds to Ghana.
He mentioned that “if you go round government circles, donor funding is not coming” based on government’s decision to implement homegrown policies which in reality will be of no benefit to donor countries which import their produce to Ghana.
He advised Ghanaians not to believe the President’s explanation that donor countries have cut back on funding to Ghana due to the nation’s attainment of a lower middle income status.
“If donors believe we are in a middle income country, they should not make pledges and somersault on those pledges…By what they have done, are we not running to the IMF?” he asked.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana