A professor of Economics at the University of Ghana, Professor Godfred Bokpin, has stated that the International Monetary Fund will easily accommodate a program focused on agriculture, agribusiness, and manufacturing because of its values and standards.
He said the Bretton Woods institution has in recent times focused on addressing issues of inequality, unemployment, and other anomalies that affect human life.
He made the remarks during an IMANI-GIZ Reform Dialogue on the topic: “How will Ghana’s IMF deal impact investment in agric and manufacturing sector?” on August 24, 2022.
Professor Bokpin said the IMF will not impose a program on Ghana, therefore “this is the best time to make an input into whatever program that will be developed focusing on agriculture, agribusiness, and manufacturing.”
He said “the reason I see an accommodating perspective from the fund is that the IMF of old is not the IMF of today. The IMF of today is much concerned about inequality, unemployment, climate change, and the rest of them.”
However, Bokpin advocated for an enabling environment for investments in the agriculture sector to yield positive results.
According to him, “any program that involves significant funding for agriculture, agribusiness, and manufacturing can be accommodated. It’s left to us to rationalize our expenditure along these lines and also create the right environment for the private sector to complement the public sector in that area.”
