Prez Mahama Summons Ministers, Appointees...

President John Mahama has summoned all his ministers and their deputies to discuss the implications of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bail programme to be rolled out from 2015. The IMF programme will roll out from January 2014 and is expected to run for about 3 years. After meeting key government officials, the private sector and some of Ghana�s donor partners, the IMF hinted that the programme will aim at eliminating government�s excessive spending and would also eliminate government subsidies, cut some tax exemptions among others. This is also likely to affect government�s spending in terms of infrastructure development among others, hence the need to streamline how the entire government machinery would run on a lean budget when the programme starts. Apart from the Ministers and their deputies, the meeting is also being attended by the Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who was a key member of the team that negotiated on behalf of government in the IMF programme. Leadership of the majority in Parliament, as well as the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, is also in the meeting which is being held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre (KAIPTC).