On Tuesday, July 5, a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is anticipated to land in Ghana to start discussions with the government about the economic assistance it requires.
During their visit, the IMF representatives—which will include senior executives from the Fund and local staff—will meet with the Finance Ministry, the Economic Management Team, and the Presidency.
The Finance Ministry noted in a statement that following their arrival on Tuesday, face-to-face discussions with the government will start on July 6.
The Ministry also uses this chance to reassure Ghanaians that the government is committed to concluding a programme with the IMF in the upcoming months to aid in Ghana's economic recovery. They would be there, among other things, to discuss the specifics of a package that would boost Ghana's faltering economy.
After a number of interactions, it's anticipated that the bailout program's specifics and its conditions would be made public.
There have been conflicting reactions to the government's decision to apply for financial assistance from the Fund, despite claims to the contrary from some, particularly National Democratic Congress (NDC) members.
Some have also voiced concern about what the decision would imply for social programmes and jobs in the public sector, with organised labour opposing the choice.
There are already increasing calls for President Akufo-Addo to fire Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and choose someone else to oversee the IMF negotiations.
In a Facebook post, former president John Mahama said that Mr. Ofori-Atta had already lost his credibility as a result of having presided over "the tragic collapse of the economy."
The Finance Minister shouldn't be included in the group of negotiators asking the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance, he stressed.
However, government representatives have denied these requests, claiming that the Minister and other government appointees are more in need of help and assistance.
In response to former president Mahama's demand that Ken Ofori-Atta be dismissed, Gabby Otchere-Darko, a prominent figure in the New Patriotic Party, stated that the Minister has demonstrated ingenuity and innovation in his handling of the economy.
Justifications for Ken Ofori-resignation, Atta's according to Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, are irrelevant.
"If you look at the work that our Finance Minister led us to do in the time before this epidemic struck us, it will not support the claim that he should be removed because he first believed that we could handle this locally. "I don't believe so," he said.