IMF chief visits Ghana December 16

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde is set to visit Ghana from 16 – 18 December 2018, Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide, has said.

“The visit comes weeks ahead of Ghana’s conclusion of the IMF programme”, Mr Hadzide told journalists on Wednesday, 12 December 2018 at the ministry’s mid-week news briefing.

The visit, he said, marks “an appreciation of our policy direction and solid economic fundamentals” as well as the country’s fiscal rules which serve as an “irreversibility signal to the world that Ghana is ready for investments”.

Mr Hadzide expressed the hope that Ms Lagarde’s visit will unlock good coupon rates on the international bond market.

“It is our hope that the visit of the IMF boss will further strengthen the cordial relationship between Ghana and the IMF on economic policies,” he added.

On Monday, 17 December 2018, Ms Lagarde will participate in the ‘Future of Work in sub-Saharan Africa Conference’ in Accra.

The one-day conference is an opportunity for the IMF MD to engage with thought-leaders and influencers from sub-Saharan Africa on the future of work.

The objective of the conference is to generate a debate on the future of work in sub-Saharan Africa and the policies required to create jobs for the continent’s growing population.

It will also discuss technology, demographics, climate change, and the course of globalisation.

The IMF boss will, on the same day, hold bilateral talks with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.

She is also expected to have lunch with some Ghanaian women entrepreneurs who are doing well in their field of work.

On Tuesday, 18 December, the IMF Managing Director will give the keynote address at a forum in Accra to be attended by government agencies, the central bank, private sector, think tanks, civil society, NGOs and academia.

She will leave Accra on the same day to Johannesburg, South Africa for a four-nation Africa tour.