Professor Ernest Aryeetey, a former Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, says Ghana must
think beyond the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the quest to stabilise and transform the economy.
He noted that Ghana had always known how to recover from economic hardship with the support of the IMF but had
refused to follow required reforms due to political expediency.
Prof. Aryeetey said this at the 26th GJA Awards in Accra on the theme: “Walking the path towards Ghana’s Economic
Recovery – The Role of the Media”.
He said after economic recovery, there must be stabilisation and transformation, which required broad participation
and the need to change agriculture, boost trade, stimulate investment and industrialise not to get back to the same
situation.
“Today, we are where we are because we failed to develop the right type of politics that will support economic
transformation… (We need to) think about the political economy. How we (can) use our institutions to develop the
right type of policies,” Prof. Aryeetey said, adding that the country needed to welcome more analysis and debates on
the economy.
Prof. Aryeetey asked the media to create space for discussions on the economy towards nding solutions to the
challenges, saying without that, it would only be the ideas of a small political group, friends and families.
“Let’s encourage debates on the economy. Let’s create a Ghana where ideas ourish and stop tagging people who
share their thoughts on the economy..,” Prof. Aryeetey, who chaired the awards event said.
Madam Florence Oboshie Sai-Coe, Special Advisor to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Media and
Strategic Communications, said the Government was doing its best to bring the economy back on track and tasked
the media to amplify voices that could help nd solutions to the economic challenges.
She said the media would be prioritised in the search for the solution and said Government was happy journalists
were responding positively to the call for all hands to be on deck for economic recovery.
Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, Chairman, National Media Commission, asked the media to sustain national interest in
discussions on the economy and not partisan ones.
The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, commended the media for its role in sustaining Ghana’s
democracy and socio-economic development and stressed on the importance of free press and safety of journalists.
She said the Embassy would continue to support the capacity building of journalists and commended GJA for the
establishment of Journalists Support Fund.
Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information, in a speech read on his behalf, said the Government attached
great importance to the work of journalists and commended them for the interest in helping bring the economy back
to life.
He said the government remained committed to the safety of journalists and asked corporate Ghana to support the
GJA Journalists Support Fund.
Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, GJA President, said journalists had a great role to play to bring the economy back to
life and said series of symposiums and lectures would be organised to help nd solutions to challenges facing the
country.
He said the Association had engaged some institutions towards the building of capacity of journalists and called for
support of all.
The GJA President also called for support for the Association’s Support Fund towards the welfare of journalists.
Since 1957 Ghana has entered 17 bailout arrangements with the IMF to restore the health of government nances,
having existed the last one in April 2019.
The country is currently with the IMF seeking support to restructure the economy and bring it back on track.
Ms Portia Gabor of TV3 won the P. A. V. Ansah Journalist of the Year.
In all, 26 individual journalists, including Mr Albert Oppong – Ansah of the Ghana News Agency, and six media
houses were awarded.
GNA