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\n<\/div>\nPresident Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his government will continue to maintain fiscal discipline in the aftermath of the exit of the IMF programme.<\/span><\/p>\n After having obtained successful ratings from the International M<\/span>onetary<\/span><\/span><\/span> Fund (IMF) about the country\u2019s economic performance, and given a clean bill of health, he noted that there is a lesson that must be drawn from the 16th<\/sup> IMF programme, entered into by the erstwhile Mahama administration.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is about a fundamental and basic matter all of us as Ghanaians have to bear in mind, and that is discipline in the management of our public finances.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to say that you have to live within your means but if you want to be able to do big things, you don\u2019t spend money that you don\u2019t have, that is always the road to chaos,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe have to learn that discipline in the management of our public finances has now to be the basic element for the building of our economy, and that\u2019s the lesson that the latest bailout program from the IMF should impress upon all of us,\u201d the President added.<\/span><\/p>\n He said\u00a0this known on Monday, <\/span>when he interacted with members of the Ghanaian community resident in Valletta, Malta, as part of his official visit to that country. <\/span><\/p>\n Since assuming office in January 2017, President Akufo-Addo noted that his government has now finally been able to bring the fiscal deficit under control, which hovered around 7.3% at the end of 2016, to under 3.9%. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is my intention that we keep it there. We keep it there because it is the signal to investors, it is the signal to those who look at the fundamentals of your economy, that the basic elements of that economy are in a good state,\u201d he added. <\/span><\/p>\n The efforts of his government at managing the economy, the President said, has meant that \u201cwe are attracting companies like Volkswagen and Nissan, Synotruck, Renault, Suzuki. All of these are taking a big interest in Ghana. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe tech giant, Google, is taking steps to start establishing an artificial intelligence centre in Ghana. All of this is because they consent that there are discipline and systemic management in our national economy and its public finances.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fiscal discipline, according to President Akufo-Addo, has to be Ghana\u2019s credo going forward, adding that \u201cif we are able to project that discipline, the benefits to us are going to be very rapid and very dramatic, and that transformation of our national economic structure, which all of us are waiting for, will be very soon around the corner.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n With Ghana projected to be one of the fastest growing economies in Africa this year, President Akufo-Addo stated that \u201cwe have to stay that way and stay focused on the programme, and on the way that we have taken things. I am trying to project the reality which is there\u2019s a lot of hope for our country.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n To the \u201cprofessional Jeremiahs\u201d whose only interest is to <\/span>run down<\/span><\/span><\/span> the nation, the President stated that \u201cI am not daunted. I don\u2019t really pay too much attention to what they say. I know what I am doing, and I believe what I am doing has the support of our people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanamma.com\/2019\/03\/4640971546526_3382928435069.jpg\")
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