The country has been facing economic challenges for a while, making it difficult for ordinary Ghanaians to sustain their livelihoods. Some of the challenges faced by Ghanaians include the rise in petrol prices and an increase in food prices.
Due to this, the government decided to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is to plead for a $ 3 billion bailout programme to help rebound the country’s dwindling economy.
Ghana’s plea for help was heard and on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, IMF approved the bailout but as the saying goes, nothing comes for free.
There were conditions attached to the loan which has raised several concerns among some Ghanaians. Experts also think that the conditions surrounding the acquisition of the loan will rather add up to the country’s existing hardship.
GhanaWeb decided to interact with some Ghanaians to know their thought about the country securing the IMF loan.
Some people who spoke to the news team expressed their joy at the loan’s approval and were also optimistic that the money would save the country’s economy.
A trader shared: “We are grateful to God that the loan has been approved and if the government is going to use the money to save the economy, then we are happy that the money is in and I don’t see any fault with the IMF loan.”
Others were however not happy about the decision for country had to run to the IMF for a loan when Ghana is blessed with natural resources.
“I don’t understand our leaders, the reason why every time they want to borrow because we have natural resources in Ghana here. For example, timber, gold, diamond everything. But for our leaders, they make us youth suffering. Because they go to borrow money for IMF, we don’t know what they do about the money,” he explained.
Watch how some Ghanaians expressed their views on the country’s IMF loan