The International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Carlo Sdralevich that visited the country to assess the prevailing economic situation after government requested for support has concluded its evaluation exercise.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the team expressed the commitment of the Bretton Woods institution to support Ghana.
“We reaffirm our commitment to support Ghana at this difficult time, consistent with the IMF’s policies.
IMF staff will continue to monitor the economic and social situation closely and engage in the coming weeks with the authorities on the formulation of their Enhanced Domestic Program that could be supported by an IMF arrangement and with broad stakeholders’ consultation,” the statement noted.
The IMF acknowledged the challenging situation in which the country finds itself, “Ghana is facing a challenging economic and social situation amid an increasingly difficult global environment. The fiscal and debt situation has severely worsened following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, investors’ concerns have triggered credit rating downgrades, capital outflows, loss of external market access, and rising domestic borrowing costs.
“In addition, the global economic shock caused by the war in Ukraine is hitting Ghana at a time when the country is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic shock and with limited room for maneuver. These adverse developments have contributed to slowing economic growth, accumulation of unpaid bills, a large exchange rate depreciation, and a surge in inflation.”
The statement disclosed that, “The IMF team held initial discussions on a comprehensive reform package to restore macroeconomic stability and anchor debt sustainability. The team made progress in assessing the economic situation and identifying policy priorities in the near term. The discussions focused on improving fiscal balances in a sustainable way while protecting the vulnerable and poor; ensuring credibility of the monetary policy and exchange rate regimes; preserving financial sector stability; and designing reforms to enhance growth, create jobs, and strengthen governance.
While in the country, the IMF team met with H.E. Vice President Bawumia, Finance Minister Ofori-Atta, and Governor Addison of the Bank of Ghana. The team also met with the Parliament’s Finance Committee, civil society organizations, and development partners, including UNICEF and the World Bank.