President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday received the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop, at the Presidency for discussions on strengthening Ghana’s economy through strategic partnerships and private-sector investment.
The meeting focused on opportunities to scale up commercial agriculture in key subsectors, including cocoa, oil palm and poultry, as part of efforts to expand production, create jobs and add value to Ghana’s agricultural output.
The discussions also centred on the government’s policy to process at least 50 percent of Ghana’s cocoa beans, agricultural produce and minerals locally, with the aim of promoting value addition and reducing the export of raw materials.
President Mahama and Mr. Diop further explored opportunities to expand Ghana’s transport infrastructure, particularly railways, aviation and roads, under the government’s Big Push Infrastructure Development Programme.
Digital connectivity, as well as critical challenges confronting the energy and education sectors, also formed part of the discussions.
President Mahama, who was joined by the Chief of Staff and the Ministers for Finance, Energy and Trade, highlighted what he described as a positive turnaround in the Ghanaian economy following measures aimed at prudent economic management and strict fiscal discipline.
According to the President, the measures have contributed to a sharp decline in inflation, a reduction in national indebtedness and the restoration of investor confidence in the Ghanaian economy.
As part of the government’s transformative initiatives, President Mahama announced that Ghana had secured a $300 million World Bank financing package to support the permanent phasing out of the double-track system in Senior High Schools by the end of 2027.
The initiative is expected to help improve access to quality secondary education while addressing infrastructure constraints that have necessitated the double-track system in some schools.
For his part, the IFC Managing Director commended President Mahama for his commitment to economic reforms and pledged the Corporation’s full support for Ghana’s commercial agriculture sector and broader efforts to build a resilient and sustainable economy.