Negotiate properly in order to benefit Ghanaians – NPP MP tells gov’t

Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah has appealed to government’s representatives who will be engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to negotiate properly in order to benefit Ghanaians.

He indicated that no government will want to impoverish or make the lives of the people uncomfortable with policies and decisions.

He told TV3’s Parliamentary correspondent Komla Kluste in Parliament on Friday July 1 that “The circumstances that will take you there is what I believe Ghanaians should highlight. Secondly, the conditions that will come out of the programme are what Ghanaians should be looking at.

“So let us look at the engagements and the discussions that will ensue and the conditions that will come out from the progarmme. So we wish government well that they will negotiate better and ensure that we stay on track to the benefit of everybody.

“No government will say that I want to impoverish the lots or make people’s lives uncomfortable, no government worth it salt will do that but certain circumstances beyond the control will lead to some hardships which we all admit to.”

A Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr John Kumah has said an IMF programme will help the country to come out from the economic challenges faster.

He said the government hopes that the programme will benefit the country.

“Our objective as government is to restore confidence in the economy and rebound it from the difficulty, from the challenges, not only in Ghana but almost all economies around the world.

“We believe that where we stand now, an IMF intervention will help us come out quicker than we could. We hope that it will benefit the country,” he told TV3’s Komla Adom on the mid day news on Friday July while throwing more light on the instruction given to the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta by the President to commence formal engagements with the IMF, inviting the Fund to support programmes put together by the Government.

This followed a telephone conversation between the President and the IMF Managing Director, Miss Kristalina Georgieva, conveying Ghana’s decision to engage with the Fund.

The Ministry of Information announced this in a statement on Friday July 1.