No ‘kenkey party’ over Ghana’s IMF exit- Mahama tells Ghanaians
President John Dramani Mahama says his administration will not organise celebratory events over Ghana’s exit from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, stressing that the country’s economic recovery remains unfinished.
Speaking during the #ResettingGhana Tour Citizens’ Engagement in the Savannah Region President Mahama said Ghana had successfully completed the IMF programme after his government intervened to restore it from what he described as near derailment.
According to him, when his administration assumed office, the IMF-supported programme inherited from the previous government had gone off track, with key performance indicators failing to meet agreed targets.
“We inherited the IMF programme from the previous government. At the time we took over, all the agreed performance indicators were out of track. It meant that the programme was in danger of derailment,” he stated.
Mahama explained that his administration introduced stringent corrective measures within its first quarter in office to realign the programme and restore confidence among Ghana’s international partners.
He noted that Ghana subsequently passed all IMF review assessments, including the final mission that recently concluded its work in the country.
“I’m happy to report that we were able to do that. The first mission approved the programme, the second mission approved it, and the final mission just left Ghana last week, and they have given us a satisfying mark for performance,” he said.
The President disclosed that the IMF Board is expected to approve the release of the final tranche of $380 million to support Ghana’s economy.
However, Mahama cautioned against complacency despite the progress made, insisting that Ghana still faces significant economic challenges.
“We’re not going to have a kenkey party because we believe that it is still work in progress,” he remarked.
The President appeared to draw a contrast with celebrations that accompanied Ghana’s exits from previous IMF programmes, saying his government remains focused on maintaining economic stability, sustaining growth, and rebuilding the economy rather than holding festivities.
