Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, says cyclical economic stability is insufficient for Ghana, urging the government to focus on sustainable policy reforms.
Ghana is currently implementing its 17th IMF-backed loan programme to restore macroeconomic stability, debt sustainability, and resilience.
edit “Unlike Egypt, Argentina, and Pakistan, which keep re-negotiating their terms, Ghana has a history of commitment during the programme period,” Mr. Simons told the Ghana News Agency in an interview
However, he noted that such commitment often led to short-term stability without long-term sustainability, causing Ghana’s repeated return to the IMF.
Simons attributed the cycle to weak civil society involvement and low policy literacy among citizens, limiting accountability after IMF programmes.
“The problem is, who is checking the government?” he asked. “We need to invest in cultivating this policy accountability because there is insufficient oversight of policy implementation.”
Mr. Simons observed that while governments performed well during programme periods, reforms failed to create radical shifts in governance and public policy engagement.
“Ghana has a history that during the programme, we are very conscientious, and that’s good. Because it means that we stabilise our economy, [and] we don’t get massive damage,” he said.
“… But after the programme, what do you hand over it into?” he asked. “So far, the long-term structural mechanism doesn’t involve enough people who have policy literacy.”
Mr. Simons urged the government to focus on long-term structural reforms and include CSOs in accountability, assessment, and communication.
He stated that global mechanisms should ensure transparency and accountability beyond governments and development sponsors.
“For example, if we go to a table and the World Bank says it’s doing performance-based contracts, ninety per cent of Ghanaians who should know wouldn’t even know, and that’s the gap we need to bridge,” he said.
“So, we have to create some mechanism globally that focuses on domestic governance and enables people to apply for grants, apply for contracts, do verification, and write reports,” Mr. Simons added.
GNA
