The ruling Nana Akufo-Addo-led government has been accused of deceit following the extension of the IMF programme.
The current administration has extended the programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) even though the President during his maiden encounter with the media at the Flagstaff House stated that the deal will not be extended after it ends in December 2018.
At a meeting between government and the Executive Board of the IMF, the deal was extended to April 2019.
However, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr says government is deceiving Ghanaians by saying the programme will end in April 2019.
According to him to say that the programme will end next year is a ‘lie’ because, “at the expiration of the programme, there is what is called completion exercise; that takes another year. Let nobody deceive himself or herself; that sometime in 2019, we are going to get out of this programme; it’s not possible. This programme will last until the end of 2020; nothing will change; what the NPP criticised in opposition is what they have embraced and it will live with us till 2020 . . . Look the government has not been truthful with us on this question of the IMF. This IMF deal is going to last until 2020 and the government’s promise of pulling out of the IMF deal will not be realised . . . ”
He was of the view that the NPP administration is being hypocritical as far as the IMF programme is concerned because they criticised the erstwhile Mahama administration for going in for it and promised to abrogate it when they come to power; however, when they came to power, they have extended it.
“It is important to go back and see the different positions that has been taken by the current government . . . I recall in one of the lectures that was given by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; he made the point that we are facing a lot of difficulty as a people; people are not getting employment into the public service; freeze on public expenditure and so on and that all that was the result of the deal we had made with the IMF and he made the point that if the New Patriotic Party was elected the deal with the IMF will be completely abrogated; that was the first position. Then that position changed again; and then they told us that if they were elected, they will review the agreement and then that position changed again after election and then they said look we cannot get everything that we want . . . and therefore we will end the program in April 2018. Now, that position has changed again and we are being told that the programme has been extended for another year and that that program will end in April 2019. My friends, that is another lie . . . we are headed for worst times under the regime of the International Monetary Fund and its sister organisation,” he said during a panel discussion on Radio Gold’s 'Alhaji and Alhaji' programme, Saturday.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Pratt is honest. Dishonesty is killing our country. Look at these social commentators who back the Npp on thi IMF deal. Is it not a digrace????
Was the NDC able to meet any criteria set by the NDC before leaving office? If they had, there would be no need for any extension. the NDC failed miserably with the IMF bailout with a growth rate of 3.6 for the year 2016.
Kwesi Pratt has turned NDC-Propagandist-with his wishful thinking as opposed to reality.Then, I think , IMF is rather embracing the effort being made by the Finance Ministry in terms of Fiscal discipline consolidation. After all the cause taken and goals achieved by the Ministry on its own merit are akin to and within IMF Deadlines, which NDC failed miserably to achieve. Indeed, substantial gains would have been made with or without IMF-Programm.I donot need to list out other instructive economic interventions being initiated by the Ministry, because that mind set can never be changed, the diabolic intention of Mr Pratt, the so called Nkrumahist turned stoooomach politician who goes from one Radio Station to the other to be feed by his pay masters.ABABRAKA!!, dishonesty in the highest order.
THERE ARE LOT OF SERIOUS ISSUES AT STAKE AND NOT THIS IMF SOMETHING. IF THE GOVERNMENT SAY THEY OPTING OUT IN 2018 AND IT TENDS OUT NOT TO BE SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?
Is Kwesi Praat not worried about how we got to IMF instead of how when we are getting out. Didnt the NDC say they only went to IMF to approve their home grown economic policies? Who or what is more hypocritical or a lie than what NDC told Ghanians when they were going to the IMF. Mr Pratt please give us a "BLAKE".