President Mahama Restates Commitment To Resolve Short Term Challenges Of Economy

President John Mahama says he remains focused on fixing the current short term economic bottlenecks. 

President Mahama said this when he addressed ministers and deputy ministers, presidential staffers, the majority leadership in Parliament and the National Democratic Congress hierarchy at the opening of a day's retreat on the theme:"Understanding the implications of government's relations with the IMF"in Accra.

   
The retreat sets the pace for other stakeholder discussions on the economic program which starts from next year. It will also offer the ministers the opportunity to share ideas and experiences and find common and lasting solutions to the current economic challenges faced by the country. In addition, give them the chance to re-strategise for the next year and measure their performance against the previous years in terms of budgeting and allocation for development projects.
   
President Mahama said in the light of the challenges, there was the possibility of turning the economy around after adherence to some of the economic support and assistance for the country.
    
He said apart from fighting hard to eliminate ghost names from government payrolls, painstaking measures would be taken to stabilise the economy for the betterment of all Ghanaians.
   
President Mahama said Ghana was lucky to still have some of the economic gurus like Professor Kwesi Botchwey, who assisted government to go in for IMF assistance in the 1980s and gave the assurance that they will ensure a better negotiation in the coming years.
   
He said the government is doing everything possible to plug all the economic loopholes that had over the time paved way for wastage in the system and called on all government appointees to play their roles responsibly to achieve that goal.
   
According to the president, under the IMF negotiations, emphasis will be placed on social development and social protection for most vulnerable people such as women and children.
   
He said adequate engagements will also be made with Civil Society Organisations and organised labour to achieve the desired economic gains for the country.
   
Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, who set the tone for commencement of the retreat, gave the assurance that government will work diligently to ensure better future prospects under the IMF engagement.


GBC