It is stupidity going to IMF, bloody waste of time- Kwesi Pratt

It is stupidity going to IMF, bloody waste of time- Kwesi Pratt

By Patrick Biddah

Seasoned Journalist, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr , has lashed out at the government for their decision to go  to the International Monetary Fund( IMF)  for a programme on the economy.

He said, taking such a decision amount to nothing, but a show of stupidity on the part of our leaders.

According to him, not only is the decision a stupid one, but a waste of ‘bloody time , as he put it.

Explaining his harsh words at the government, Mr Pratt, who is known for his opposition against such economic programmes, indicated that the country has been to the fund on 19 occasions which has not changed the structural economic problems of the country and sees no wisdom in subsequent government applying to go into another programme.

Speaking at a public forum in Accra which was  by Arise Ghana, which is a civil society organization , Mr  Pratt further revealed that  the NPP government  has already been to the Fund on two occasions since coming into power and wonders how nobody is thinking into realizing that the fund has not helped changed the economic situation of the country.

Arise Ghana, which is a Civil Society Organization ( CSP) has been demanding improvements  in the economic situations of the country . It has among others through demonstration called for a cancellation of the electronic levy tax policy and a reduction in the prices  of petroleum products.

The forum was Under the theme: “ Ghana’s Social Economic Outlook, the prospects of an IMF programme “.

Mr Pratt therefore .pointed out how  the country hasnot transformed under any government that has gone into a programme with the IMF since 1963.

“ No country in the world which entered into a programme with the IMF has had  it problems solvedso why will a country still be happy rushing there”, he posited.

“ The IMF is not concerned with the roads in Ghana, they are not concerned about our hospitals, they are not  concerned about the food we eat but are rather concerned with how to protect their interests “, he said.

The problems of the country he pointed out are known by all and it does not take the IMF to let us know.

“ Everybody knows the price of kenkey is moved from Ghc1 to Ghc4, people cannot survive on their salaries for more than one week and these are the problems we all know .We therefore do not need the IMF  to come and let us know how we got here and how to get out it “, he poured out.

Displeased by the many times Ghana has been to the IMF, Mr. Pratt said the behavior of leaders gives them away as those who are showing stupidity.

“ If after 60 years of independence we are still going to these Britton Woods  institutions with no solutions why do we think the IMF has the cure for stupidity?”, he quizzed.

For him , it is a system of exploitation which has plagued the  country resulting in the terrible economic conditions.

In his view,  the system is collapsed and it started when the Bank of Ghana signed a Foreign Retention Agreement with mining companies who take away 98$ of revenue from the country and retain only 2%

A private legal practitioner, Mr Martin Kpebu, who felt scandalized by the happenings in the country said President Akufo-Addo, has failed woefully and should resign.

He said there is too much thievery going on in this country and with the leadership looking on.

By Patrick Biddah

Seasoned Journalist, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr , has lashed out at the government for their decision to go  to the International Monetary Fund( IMF)  for a programme on the economy.

He said, taking such a decision amount to nothing, but a show of stupidity on the part of our leaders.

According to him, not only is the decision a stupid one, but a waste of ‘bloody time , as he put it.

Explaining his harsh words at the government, Mr Pratt, who is known for his opposition against such economic programmes, indicated that the country has been to the fund on 19 occasions which has not changed the structural economic problems of the country and sees no wisdom in subsequent government applying to go into another programme.

Speaking at a public forum in Accra which was  by Arise Ghana, which is a civil society organization , Mr  Pratt further revealed that  the NPP government  has already been to the Fund on two occasions since coming into power and wonders how nobody is thinking into realizing that the fund has not helped changed the economic situation of the country.

Arise Ghana, which is a Civil Society Organization ( CSP) has been demanding improvements  in the economic situations of the country . It has among others through demonstration called for a cancellation of the electronic levy tax policy and a reduction in the prices  of petroleum products.

The forum was Under the theme: “ Ghana’s Social Economic Outlook, the prospects of an IMF programme “.

Mr Pratt therefore .pointed out how  the country hasnot transformed under any government that has gone into a programme with the IMF since 1963.

“ No country in the world which entered into a programme with the IMF has had  it problems solvedso why will a country still be happy rushing there”, he posited.

“ The IMF is not concerned with the roads in Ghana, they are not concerned about our hospitals, they are not  concerned about the food we eat but are rather concerned with how to protect their interests “, he said.

The problems of the country he pointed out are known by all and it does not take the IMF to let us know.

“ Everybody knows the price of kenkey is moved from Ghc1 to Ghc4, people cannot survive on their salaries for more than one week and these are the problems we all know .We therefore do not need the IMF  to come and let us know how we got here and how to get out it “, he poured out.

Displeased by the many times Ghana has been to the IMF, Mr. Pratt said the behavior of leaders gives them away as those who are showing stupidity.

“ If after 60 years of independence we are still going to these Britton Woods  institutions with no solutions why do we think the IMF has the cure for stupidity?”, he quizzed.

For him , it is a system of exploitation which has plagued the  country resulting in the terrible economic conditions.

In his view,  the system is collapsed and it started when the Bank of Ghana signed a Foreign Retention Agreement with mining companies who take away 98$ of revenue from the country and retain only 2%

A private legal practitioner, Mr Martin Kpebu, who felt scandalized by the happenings in the country said President Akufo-Addo, has failed woefully and should resign.

He said there is too much thievery going on in this country and with the leadership looking on.