Ofori-Atta didn't cause Ghana's economic woes - Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo has reiterated that calls for him to sack the Finance Minister are unjustified.

Speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC FM on Monday, President Akufo-Addo said there is absolutely no basis for him to relieve the Minister of his position.

There have been several calls from some CSOs and other critics alike for the President to sack the Finance Minister as the nation grapples with harsh economic conditions.

But the President contends he cannot turn his back on the Finance Minister because he’s been excellent on the job.

“I came to office in 2017 under a stringent IMF programme. This same man was able to manage the affairs of our economy in such a way that the first four years of my first term, we were one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, an average growth rate of 7% a year from the beginnings of an IMF programme.

“An economy that allowed us to initiate the programme Planting for Food and Jobs. So somebody who has been able to do that and the current economic difficulties are not his faults. So how do I do that (sack him)? What will be the basis? What will be the rationale?”

“If we were to say he didn’t do well in the first term, then I shouldn’t have repeated him for my second term? So for me, their performance in my first term was excellent. Let me use that word. Excellent,” he added.

Meanwhile, government has submitted its economic document (Post Covid-19 Programme for Economic Growth) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for programme support.

The Director of the African Department at the IMF, Abebe Aemro Selassie disclosed this to Journalists at an engagement in Washington DC on the sidelines of the 2022 Annual IMF/World Bank meetings.

“The Government of Ghana sharing its economic plan with us, demonstrates its commitment as we have already agreed on the economic programme with the authorities”.

“Part of the work that’s ongoing right now is to assess what exactly the debt sustainability situation is, and how the Government would like to address that once the work has been completed,” he stated.

The Finance Minister is upbeat that the negotiation with the IMF “will be fast-tracked to ensure that key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 Annual Budget Statement in November 2022.”