Seth Terkper: Govt's Debt Management Strategy Is To Revitalise SOE's

The Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper, says the debt management strategy of government is to ensure that state enterprises which benefit from government loans must put in place measures to help repay the loan. He said the focus of government is to invest in infrastructural projects that will generate resources to re-finance itself. The Finance Minister was speaking on a Sister Station in Accra on the need to effectively utilize the one billion Dollar Eurobond to prop up the Economy. Mr Terkper says major projects like the Akosombo Dam and the Tema Habour are examples of viable investments which should inform government's development strategy moving forward. On government's engagement with the International Monetary Fund, he said it will help address the inbalance in the economy. Mr Terkper said the discussions will be based on the country's home grown policies under the Ghana Shared Growth Development Strategy Two. Ghana turned to the IMF for assistance after the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Economy met on August 1 to reflect on the range of issues affecting the country�s economy. Some of the members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have even advocated for the President to dismiss Mr. Terkper because according to them, his economic management skills are making the government unpopular, a situation which could cause the party to lose the 2016 elections. Some political watchers say this could be the possible reason why the President chose Mr. Botchwey to lead Ghana�s team in the discussions with the IMF. But Seth Terkper dispelled the reports that President John Mahama has lost confidence in him, hence, the decision to make former Finance Minister, Kwesi Botchwey, lead Ghana�s negotiation team with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). �I see this more as a team effort. It doesn�t mean I will be off the negotiation team. I still need my technical team in the discussion,� he said.