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| Seth Tekpe |
Seth Tekper, Minister of Finance has dismissed reports that
Ghana has been officially declared a Highly Indebted Poor Country.
Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's
'Kokrokoo', Mr. Tekper stated emphatically that Ghana is not HIPC because Ghana
has moved from a developing country to a lower middle income nation.
We have moved from becoming a developing country into a
lower middle income country.To him, Ghana's debt ratio has also significantly
improved.
Seth Tekper further stated that his outfit and the
government are putting 'visible' developmental projects in place to enhance the
progress of the economy.
"The fact that you become a lower middle income country
does not mean that all of sudden everywhere in Ghana will look rosy.
You can also see some visible changes as a result of your
potential. You can see visible
development that is taking place.
This is where the GETFUNDS, this is where the NHIAbecome
important because as we increase the revenue and the revenue to these
programmes come in; these are the programmes that you also use to tackle
poverty so that you can bring everybody along.
"So, we have to adopt sectorial as well as national
policies and accept the world is looking as a middle income country. We have to
just accept it and then continue to develop programmes that will make us live
that reality." Meanwhile, data from the Bank of Ghana indicate that Ghana
is officially classified as a Highly Indebted Poor Country.
BOG new data shows that the country's debt now stands at
about 71 percent and according to World Bank benchmark, if a country's
debt-to-GDP ratio exceeds 70 percent debt mark, the country falls into the HIPC
brackets.
Source: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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