The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, has urged the government to consider better alternatives to an IMF program in order to assist Ghana in overcoming its economic problems.
According to Dr. Yaw Baah, who was speaking at the 2023 May Day celebration parade at Bolgatanga, the country’s economy has not been well managed, and that is why governments always decide to go for an IMF program, stating that IMF programs and policies can never help change Ghana’s economic circumstances.
“The reason Ghana has had to seek IMF support almost every three years is largely due to the flaws in the way our economy has been managed based on the new liberal free market ideology.
“We would like to reiterate our well-known position that the IMF programme can never take us out of this crisis. Our history of engagements with the IMF provides ample evidence that IMF-sponsored programmes and policies cannot change our economic circumstances. Another IMF programme will only impose more economic burden on us,” he said.
He added that he believes government can lead Ghana out of her economic challenges without the assistance of an IMF program by reducing spending on non-essentials.
“We have to change the situation ourselves as Ghanaians. We believe strongly that government can lead us out of this crisis, and the government can do so by cutting expenditure on non-essentials including the need to stop spending our hard-earned revenue on a national cathedral.”
“Mr. President you can also reduce the size of your government. Ghana has too many ministers and deputy ministers.”
