According to him, the declaration of the agenda centered on self-reliance should not be an obstacle to the country seeking external support to address its challenges on an as and when basis.
Speaking to Accra-based Joy News on July 28, the minister indicated that the country was faced with global economic issues such as the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which threw its economic recovery process out of gear.
Consequently, Mr. Ofori-Atta said it was essential to look for support for the country despite its bold 'Ghana Beyond Aid' declaration.
“There’s no question about it in terms of commitment to it. As you have yourself said, the global situation as the Managing Director of IMF said is grim and the dark clouds are not over yet. They will continue. So you look at your resource envelope and you look at where you can get the appropriate support to move forward and truly the need to engage the Fund.
“And given our commitment to achieving Ghana Beyond Aid, one cannot have one’s statements in the past being the reason for not looking for a solution that will get us to a Ghana Beyond Aid. I’m sure it is disappointing for all of us but what has occurred in this period is like nothing we have seen before. For us as a government, once we commit to something we intend to do it and so we will go through this very successfully and quickly. This too shall pass,” he said.
Ghana initiated contacts with the International Monetary Fund on July 1 following a directive from President Nana Addo Dankwa-Addo to Ken Ofori-Atta amid an economic downturn.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta