Despite elimination of USAID contracts . . . US commits to life-saving programmes in Ghana - Ambassador assures

The United States (US) government will maintain all the life-saving programmes under the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, has stated.

The life-saving programmes include the infant and child mortality, maternal health, the malaria elimination, HIV/AIDS prevention and interventions, as well as the essential medicines and vaccines programmes.

Ms Palmer said although the support for those life-saving programmes would continue, many of them had been reviewed and changed. 

Trump administration

Shortly after coming to power, the Trump administration announced the elimination of more than 90 per cent of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall US assistance around the world, putting numbers on its plans to eliminate the majority of US development and humanitarian help abroad.

In her first media engagement since the political transitions in the US and Ghana, Ambassador Palmer reaffirmed that Ghana’s longstanding relationship with America had secured its place as a vital partner.

“No matter what the change in language, how we express it, or the change in focus, Ghana is a really important partner of the United States and will continue to be so.

The United States is behind Ghana's economic recovery through institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as American business interests,” she said. 

Deeply-rooted relationship

The Ambassador further explained that the United States and Ghana had a deeply rooted relationship, founded on many fronts: historical and cultural ties, as well as bilateral trade relations, which currently amounted to approximately $3 billion.

Ms Palmer said Ghana had actually done better than many in a number of areas, especially, “your conflict resolution structures are stronger as a result of hard work, and this has enabled you to move to another phase of partnership with the United States”.

She, however, said the US had not continued with a lot of the economic growth programmes, but had a lot of programmes to spur agricultural growth and would be able to maintain the cash transfer programmes to the people that were affected by the drought in the north.

“But some of the programmes to stimulate more agricultural change, they've had to terminate and I feel sad about that,” Ms Palmer admitted.

Ghana’s budget

Ambassador Palmer stressed that the US was not leaving a big hole in Ghana's budget because most of the assistance they provided, of about 95 per cent, was to civil society organisations (CSOs) rather than the government.

“The US and Ghana have a very warm, close relationship that is founded on four pillars, historical and cultural ties, trade and investment, goods and services — gold coming from here, gas coming from here and we have automobiles and pharmaceuticals coming from the United States, and cooperation in key industries,” Ms Palmer stated.

“So, it is something that builds prosperity in all the countries. It is all to say that no matter the changes in language and no matter the change in focus, Ghana remains an important part of the United States, and will continue to be so,” she added.

New tariffs

Ms Palmer downplayed concerns over the future of US-Ghana trade relations following the 10 per cent baseline tax on imports from Ghana, as part of their ambitious and controversial set of tariffs on imports from around the world into the US.

Speaking from the Rose Garden, President Trump defended the tariffs as part of a national economic emergency, arguing that they were necessary to protect domestic manufacturing and counter decades of what he described as “unfair economic practices”.

In spite of growing concerns, Ambassador Palmer reassured Ghanaians about the resilience of the US-Ghana trade relationship, which currently exceeded $3 billion in bilateral trade and investment.

She expressed confidence that Ghana’s key exports, such as gold and gas, would remain vital to global trade and would not be significantly affected by US policy shifts.

“So, it is something that builds prosperity in all the countries.

It is all to say that no matter the changes in language and no matter the change in focus, Ghana remains an important part of the United States, and will continue to be so,” Ms Palmer stated.