We need alternatives to IMF policies for national development – Kwesi Praat

Kwesi Praat, the managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, appeared on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV monitored by MyNewsGH, where he shared his views on national forums and their potential for addressing Ghana’s challenges.

Praat expressed his belief that such forums can lead to constructive consensus-building, which is crucial in a country with numerous economic, social, and political issues.

He highlighted the importance of consensus-building in Ghana, stressing that it is a strategy that should be adopted to tackle the nation’s problems. “There’s no doubt that such fora can be very beneficial because they can lead to the achievement of a certain consensus, and that’s important,” Praat remarked.

Praat also drew attention to the leadership of former president John Dramani Mahama, commending his ability to bring people together from diverse backgrounds to form an inclusive government.

Praat reflected on how Mahama’s 2001 presidential campaign promised an all-inclusive government, a promise that was fulfilled during his presidency. “I work very closely with former president John, and one of the things that I admired about him was his ability to bring people on board from different places with different ideas,” Praat shared.

Although Praat supported the forum’s potential to foster consensus, he did express reservations.

He appreciated that the forum aligned with a manifesto promise made by the current president, which promised to create a national dialogue within the first 120 days of the administration. However, he raised concerns about the pre-determined nature of the discussions.

He pointed out that the framework for the forum seemed to have already been set, particularly given the Minister of Finance’s announcement that an IMF team would be involved in the budget process.

“If you want to remain in the IMF frame really, you sort of restrict us,” Praat argued. He questioned the effectiveness of the forum if it remained confined within the constraints of IMF policies and neoliberal strategies.

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