Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, says government has not learnt lessons from its “unpopular economic decisions” and has refused to be guided by history in its talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to him, attempts by President Akufo-Addo and the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to “fast track” negotiations with the IMF without broader consultations could only aggravate the country’s already-worsening economic situation.
Mr Amidu believes the government and its officials are engaging in impunity as there is little to no transparency in the ongoing negotiations with the IMF.
He noted that considering the manner in which the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) was implemented without recourse to concerns raised, it is the same way the 2023 budget would be forced on Ghanaians without any transparent consultations.
“Ghanaian patriots and civil society organisations should, therefore, heed the signal of impunity sent out by the government to use the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a smokescreen behind which to ram down the throat of Ghanaians an austerity budget in November 2022 without any extensive and in-depth transparent and accountable consultations with ‘we the people’ as required under any democracy,” he wrote in a statement.
“This government operates on the assumption that Ghana is a satellite state of international capital and its neocolonialist masters to the extent that the compradors now ruling this country have developed such a relationship with and control over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it is capable of fast-tracking negotiations with the IMF to ensure key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 budget statement.”
Mr Amidu argued that Ghanaian citizens are entitled to know the content of the IMF dialogue with government.
He noted that the posture of the President, “a well-known comprador bourgeoisie who has run this country into its present economic mess,” and his family and friends remind him of government’s seeming connivance with IMF to redirect the country’s fortunes elsewhere.
He quoted a former Deputy British High Commissioner to Ghana, Craig Murray, in an article titled ‘IMF and US set to ruin Ghana’.
“It is an understatement to say that a majority of Ghanaians were against the E-Levy but with arrogance and impunity, the government corruptly bought its way with the political elite to approve and enact the E-Levy into law. The consequent reaction from Ghanaians is there for all to see how successful a reception that policy received and is receiving.
“Hopefully, the government has not forgotten the length of time and labour it took it to organise post facto consultations with Ghanaians after it has presented the 2022 Budget Statement to Parliament without prior respect for the views of the ordinary voters of this country,” Martin Amidu added.
