The anchor of the Metro TV program Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere, recently refuted the assertion made by famous economist Kwame Pianim that the government’s talks with the IMF were not progressing well.
The talks were not progressing well, according to Pianim’s sources in Washington, in part because Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was involved and there was a lack of political confidence, he said in an interview with Accra-based TV3.
“The negotiations are not going well. I am aware of that. Being a Ghanaian, I have a responsibility to keep my ears open and am concerned with the economy’s progress.
It isn’t going well, I’m saying because we have friends in Washington,” Pianim said.
Adom-Otchere is, however, in disagreement with Pianim’s views citing the October 20 IMF statement after the last round of talks between the Ofori-Atta-led delegation that was in Washington weeks back.
After playing a snippet of Pianim’s interview on the October 27 edition of Good Evening Ghana, Adom-Otchere read out the IMF statement before making his conclusion that the Fund’s position was at variance with Pianim’s claims.
“We love Mr. Kwame Pianim he is a very distinguished economist but he said a few things that show a bit of deficit.
“The IMF statement uses words like we made good progress and it was fruitful, so Mr. Kwame Painim’s testimony is not borne out by the IMF statement… Unless of course, he suspects the IMF statement is not honest, I don’t think he suspects that.
“So, Kwame Pianim’s situation is not borne out,” he stressed. He also disclosed that information the Good Evening Ghana show had was that the IMF was rather keen on revenue mobilization efforts on the part of the government as talks continue.