IMF Bailout: Baako damns critics, but warns gov't

“We are members of IMF and that is a fact and so in some cases, you can fall on them for support. In principle, there is nothing wrong with it, but you have to know that it is coming with some conditions and problems.”

Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says even though it might be good to go in for the IMF bailout, it will not come on a silver platter.

He said there is no need for government appointees to deny that the loan will come with some conditions because it is true.

“Those who are saying that should just keep quiet…why are you preempting it. If you are a government functionary, you should stop speaking that language. Don’t talk that way…too much propaganda will continue to expose you,” he said.

The debate as to whether or not it was right for government to open discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been circulating for some time now.

A section of the public have welcomed the news and others are of the view that the IMF loan will worsen the life of the Ghanaian worker and make life more difficult because of clauses attached to the loan.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Wednesday’s edition of Kokrokoo, Kweku Baako opined that ‘in the first place,' it is good that government has admitted that the country is facing serious challenges and have decided to end it by going for the loan.

“There is nothing wrong. This is not the first time a government has been challenged seriously…I am telling you once you are going in, there are some implications. There are certain things you cannot do. We are members of IMF and that is a fact and so in some cases, you can fall on them for support. In principle, there is nothing wrong with it, but you have to know that it is coming with some conditions and problems.”

Kweku Baako described President Mahama’s statement that his government is going in for the loan to gain approval from the IMF as an ‘honest confession.’

“The message from the President and the Finance Minister; that we are going for the loan in order to gain policy credibility; well, it is a confession that is honest, but at the same time, it is an exercise in self-indictment...with this confession or admission, it may have been induced by the realities of time, but it is better than none…” he added.