Professor of Economics and the Dean for the University of Cape Coast School of Business, Professor John Gartchie Gatsi, has revealed that issues of LGBTQ+ in Ghana was not part of the required conditions during the International Monetary Fund negotiations.
According to Prof. John Gatsi, the comments issued by the IMF following the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill popularly called the Anti-Gay bill, is a statement of interest.
According to a Bloomberg report, the Bretton Wood Institution, in a statement, noted, amongst other things, that, "its internal policies frown on discrimination based on personal characteristics, including gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.”
“Diversity and inclusion are values that the IMF embraces,” the Fund emphasised.
In contrast to the IMF assertions, Professor Gatsi believes that Ghana’s finance ministry was being used to “blackmail us to support the President not to sign the bill”, passed by Ghana’s parliament.
He, therefore, pointed that there seems to be a “heavy dose of lobbying” going on in these last minutes of the anti-LGBTQ bill becoming law.
He said, “When we went to the IMF, there was no condition regarding LGBTQ issues.”
“In fact, when the World Bank was giving us [Ghana] money, the only thing that they were waiting for was the signing of the IMF deal that opened the door for them to provide those credits that they’re providing to us.”
Prof. Gatsi continued by stating that, “of course, those monies are not free money, we are going to pay back those monies, and the only condition, according to him, was for the parliament of Ghana to consider those loans and approve them, which has been done long ago."
Meanwhile, the finance ministry has petitioned President Akufo-Addo not to assent the bill considering the grave financial implications Ghana is likely to face in the eyes of the international communities.
Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com
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Mr. Kpodo or whoever you are, stop this petty assumptions. Are you saying that the majority of Ghanaians eagerly supporting this Bill care about your NDC/ NPP rubbish mentality or that they're unintelligent? We are talking about protecting what we believe in as a people and firming our principles and true independence. I agree that the president ought to think deeply about it and do the needful, albeit through a tactful means but not with the unnecessary political twists you're adding. With all the financial support that you're purporting, how helpful have they been to us in granting is robust financial situation? We care less, if this is perhaps the means to get us to start domesticating our economy, let's fully embrace it. No one can punish us for no sins committed. Are the IMF and others gay? Even if they're, will they accuse of discrimination but have the gust to discriminate against us on grounds of our community sexuaI preferences? I would never be bothered about these hypocrites
Prof. Gatsi, Lord Mensah, and others who always speak against this gov't want the economy to crash so they'll turn it into politics and blame it on gov't. Why would this so-called professor say that LGBTQ matters don't affect the relationship with IMF? The truth is that, if the president signs the act in its current form, the economy will come crushing down because the whole of Western world, their businesses, and their financial institutions will punish Ghana and completely stop their FDI from coming to Ghana for so-called "human rights abuse", and our economy can't withstand the force that will come against it. The resultant hardships will be tripple what we're facing now and make Ghanaians vote against NPP in the December elections. If the president doesn't sign the act too, NDC will use it as a political tool that the president and NPP support and promote LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, and therefore Ghanaians will vote against it. These are the reasons why the Speaker of Parliament and NDC insisted that the bill should be passed before Parliament rises for the Easter break. It's all about NDC and dirty politrics. Now it's up to the president to determine how he'll manoeuvre and navigate his way around this controversial situation. Speaker Bagbin knew what the outcome of the Bill would be when this private member's bill was tabled in Parliament. That was why he insisted that voting should be done openly instead of secret ballot. The president should think very deep before taking any action on this act before before it becomes law. If he and his advisers don't think deep to meet NDC with their own befitting special plan, he should then be prepared to hand over power to NDC in January, 2025 because it's most likely NDC will win