Professor Godfred Bokpin, an economist and finance skilled, has attributed a part of the cedi’s depreciation to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme with Ghana.
He mentioned that beneath the IMF programme, the Central Bank was barred from intervening within the foreign money change market when the Cedi fell in opposition to main buying and selling currencies.
That state of affairs prevented the Bank of Ghana (BoG) from getting into the overseas foreign money market to stabilise the Cedi.
Prof. Bokpin made the touch upon an area radio station that was monitored by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) over the weekend.
“Part of the reason why the cedi is depreciating is also consistent with the latest IMF-supported program. Under the IMF-supported programme, they favour a stable exchange rate.
“This limits the ability of the central bank to be in the market and fight off the depreciation through our reserves.
“Part of the IMF programme is to build our reserve of three months of import cover for 2026…What that means is that it tightens the hands of the central bank to intervene in the market to sell dollars to stabilise the cedi.
“Now they cannot do that under an IMF programme,” he mentioned.
In May 2023, the IMF Executive Board authorized a US$3 billion External Credit Facility (ECF) with Ghana for 36 months.
Prof. Bokpin additionally recognized different elements which have influenced the cedi’s latest depreciation.
He mentioned that the cedi’s depreciation was additionally triggered by the delayed overseas debt restructuring, which affected the receipt of the third tranche of the ECF beneath the IMF programme.
The IMF has indicated that it could switch the third tranche of $360 million, however Ghana’s incapability to barter a ultimate debt settlement with its official bilateral collectors.
Mr. Charles Kusi Appiah Kubi, a consultant of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and a panellist on the dialogue, recommended the prioritisation of retention insurance policies to stabilise the cedi since multinational corporations can be barred from repatriating earnings.
Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Director of Research for the Trade Union Congress, additionally inspired the Central Bank to handle the “open” commerce of overseas change in Ghana, significantly the black market, to alleviate stress on the cedi.
Source: GNA
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