Seth Terkper can be included in IMF talks – Nana Akomea

Managing Director of Inter-City STC, Nana Akomea, has asked government to have a “broad front” as it engages the team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Ghana is seeking help from the Fund; what the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has described as a “balance of payment support”.

Government has been asked to call on experts to lead the negotiations with the IMF team who arrived in the country on Tuesday.

Some names mentioned so far are Economist Mr Kwame Pianim and businessman Sam Jonah.

In a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Nana Akomea said former Finance Minister under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Seth Terkper should be included.

According to him, Seth Terkper had once worked with the IMF and can bring something to the table.

“This is a national issue . . . government’s team meetng with the IMF should include labour . . . employers should be included, some one or two NDC folks can be added, like Seth Terkper who has worked with the IMF before and worked with other countries, he even led the NDC when they went to the Fund; because we need a broad front . . . ” he stated.

Isaac Adongo, the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Tuesday suggested to the government to call on experts to lead the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He, therefore, cited economist Mr Kwame Pianim and businessman Sam Jonah as some capable experts who could lead the team.

“They should look for Kwame Pianim immediately. He is the one who can save them and lead this team, they should go and get Ishmael Yamson and Sam Jonah the best brains in our country. Because this job is equivalent to the 1983 challenge, it’s not child play,” he said.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament, Mr Adongo claimed the current team leading the negotiations, including the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister could not get the country any favourable programme to address the country’s problems.

The IMF team is expected to arrive in the country on Tuesday to commence the official negotiations with the government for a budget support programme.