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<\/p>\n\nThese are difficult times but the battle is the Lord\u2019s \u2013 Ken Ofori-Atta rallies <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has asked Ghanaians to be optimistic about a better future as everything showed that the country would surmont the current challenges.<\/h2>\n
\u201cThese are difficult times for us as a country but as we keep saying, the battle is the Lord\u2019s and it will be done,\u201d Mr Ofori-Atta said at a ceremony to sign this year\u2019s cocoa syndication loan.<\/p>\n
Cocoa loan<\/strong><\/p>\n He said the Ghana Cocoa Board\u2019s (COCOBOD) ability to raise US$1.13 billion from a consortium of international lenders to finance cocoa purchases in the face of the economic downturn showed the faith that the international financial market have in the country.<\/p>\n He said the US$750 million raised from the Africa Export-Import Bank gave credence to that belief in the high prospects of the country.<\/p>\n He said the Afriexim facility \u201ccame through against other predictions and the cocoa loan too has come through at the right time<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I believe it is time for us to have the type of optimism that will raise Ghana and the black star to where it should be.<\/p>\n Burden sharing<\/strong><\/p>\n He, however, asked Ghanaians to prepare for burden sharing as the government steps up negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a fund-assisted programme to restore macroeconomic stability.<\/p>\n He said the discussions showed that the country could secure a historic deal different those secured by other African countries.<\/p>\n Read also:\u00a0COCOBOD secures US$1.13bn to purchase cocoa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n