It is stupidity going to IMF, bloody waste of time - Kwesi Pratt

Seasoned Journalist, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has lashed out at the government for their decision to go to the International Monetary Fund( IMF) for a program on the economy.

He said, taking such a decision amount to nothing, but a show of stupidity on the part of our leaders.

According to him, not only is the decision a stupid one but a waste of ‘bloody time, as he put it.

Explaining his harsh words at the government, Mr. Pratt, who is known for his opposition to such economic programs, indicated that the country has been to the fund on 19 occasions which have not changed the structural economic problems of the country and see no wisdom in subsequent government applying to go into another program.

Speaking at a public forum in Accra which was by Arise Ghana, which is a civil society organization, Mr. Pratt further revealed that the NPP government has already been to the Fund on two occasions since coming into power and wonders how nobody is thinking into realizing that the fund has not helped change the economic situation of the country.

Arise Ghana, which is a Civil Society Organization ( CSP) has been demanding improvements in the economic situation of the country. It has among others through demonstration called for a cancellation of the electronic levy tax policy and a reduction in the prices of petroleum products.

The forum was Under the theme: “Ghana’s Social Economic Outlook, the prospects of an IMF program."

Mr. Pratt, therefore, pointed out how the country has not transformed under any government that has gone into a programme with the IMF since 1963.

“No country in the world which entered into a program with the IMF has had its problems solved so why will a country still be happy rushing there,” he posited.

“The IMF is not concerned with the roads in Ghana, they are not concerned about our hospitals, they are not concerned about the food we eat but are rather concerned with how to protect their interests," he said.

The problems of the country he pointed out are known by all and it does not take the IMF to let us know.

“Everybody knows the price of kenkey is moved from Ghc1 to Ghc4, people cannot survive on their salaries for more than one week and these are the problems we all know. We, therefore, do not need the IMF to come and let us know how we got here and how to get out of it," he poured out.

Displeased by the many times Ghana has been to the IMF, Mr. Pratt said the behavior of leaders gives them away as those who are showing stupidity.

“If after 60 years of independence we are still going to these Britton Woods institutions with no solutions why do we think the IMF has the cure for stupidity?” he quizzed.

For him, it is a system of exploitation that has plagued the country resulting in terrible economic conditions.

In his view, the system is collapsed and it started when the Bank of Ghana signed a Foreign Retention Agreement with mining companies that take away 98$ of revenue from the country and retain only 2%

A private legal practitioner, Mr. Martin Kpebu, who felt scandalized by the happenings in the country said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has failed woefully and should resign.

He said there is too much thievery going on in this country and with the leadership looking on.

Seasoned Journalist, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has lashed out at the government for their decision to go to the International Monetary Fund( IMF) for a program on the economy.

He said, taking such a decision amount to nothing, but a show of stupidity on the part of our leaders.

According to him, not only is the decision a stupid one but a waste of ‘bloody time, as he put it.

Explaining his harsh words at the government, Mr. Pratt, who is known for his opposition to such economic programs, indicated that the country has been to the fund on 19 occasions which have not changed the structural economic problems of the country and see no wisdom in subsequent government applying to go into another program.

Speaking at a public forum in Accra which was by Arise Ghana, which is a civil society organization, Mr. Pratt further revealed that the NPP government has already been to the Fund on two occasions since coming into power and wonders how nobody is thinking into realizing that the fund has not helped change the economic situation of the country.

Arise Ghana, which is a Civil Society Organization ( CSP) has been demanding improvements in the economic situation of the country. It has among others through demonstration called for a cancellation of the electronic levy tax policy and a reduction in the prices of petroleum products.

The forum was Under the theme: “Ghana’s Social Economic Outlook, the prospects of an IMF program."

Mr. Pratt, therefore, .pointed out how the country has not transformed under any government that has gone into a program with the IMF since 1963.

“No country in the world which entered into a program with the IMF has had its problems solved so why will a country still be happy rushing there,” he posited.

“The IMF is not concerned with the roads in Ghana, they are not concerned about our hospitals, they are not concerned about the food we eat but are rather concerned with how to protect their interests," he said.

The problems of the country he pointed out are known by all and it does not take the IMF to let us know.

"Everybody knows the price of kenkey is moved from Ghc1 to Ghc4, people cannot survive on their salaries for more than one week and these are the problems we all know. We, therefore, do not need the IMF to come and let us know how we got here and how to get out of it," he poured out.

Displeased by the many times Ghana has been to the IMF, Mr. Pratt said the behavior of leaders gives them away as those who are showing stupidity.

“If after 60 years of independence we are still going to these Britton Woods institutions with no solutions why do we think the IMF has the cure for stupidity?”, he quizzed.

For him, it is a system of exploitation that has plagued the country resulting in terrible economic conditions.

In his view, the system is collapsed and it started when the Bank of Ghana signed a Foreign Retention Agreement with mining companies that take away 98$ of revenue from the country and retain only 2%

A private legal practitioner, Mr. Martin Kpebu, who felt scandalized by the happenings in the country said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has failed woefully and should resign.

He said there is too much thievery going on in this country and with the leadership looking on.