Exiting IMF programme good for home-grown choices - British High Commissioner
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Iain Walker, has described Ghana’s decision to wean itself of International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as a good move as it will give the country the opportunity to steer the economy on its own aspirations.
He said exiting IMF programme would enable Ghana to demonstrate its fiscal and macroeconomic discipline.
The High Commissioner was speaking to the media in Kumasi ahead of the royal visit of Prince Charles of Wales and his wife Camila, the Duchess of Cornwall, from November 2, this year.
Fiscal discipline
and choices
According to him, “after the IMF programme ends, that is when Ghana can demonstrate fiscal discipline that we have seen happening at the moment.
“Ghana has a government that wants to take control of its economy.
It will be interesting to see what happens after that. For me, seeking to get over the IMF programme seems to be a very huge thing to do and it will enable Ghana to make the choices it wants to make in the future,” he said.
The government has said the country would wean itself from IMF programme from December this year.
Visit
Commenting on the royal visit to Ghana, he said the coming of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall was to cement the relationship between Ghana and the United Kingdom (UK) with a focus on the future.
Mr Walker said with the UK exiting the European Union, looking beyond Brexit and the Ghana beyond aid agenda policy, there was the need to build a stronger relationship that would be mutually beneficial to both countries.
He said the visit was coming at the back of the first-ever UK-Ghana investment summit and that would present another platform for businesses from both countries to bond and build stronger ties.
Kumasi
According to Mr Walker, the royal couple, who are on a three-nation tour to Africa, would spend four days in Ghana.
As part of their visit, he said, Prince Charles and Camila would visit the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at Manhyia where a durbar would be held in his honour.
He said the visit to Kumasi was not just because it was the second biggest city in the country but “because it is an important regional hub for many other parts of West Africa.”
He said the Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, would also visit a cocoa farm to see how sustainable the crop was produced.
“He is a long-time advocate and believer in sustainable farming and has deep interest in cocoa,” Mr Walker explained.
The royal family will leave Ghana for a two-day visit to Nigeria.