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The main opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, has called on the government to relieve Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the roles they play in the management of the economy.

According to the party, the two gentlemen have mismanaged the economy forcing the government to seek a rescue programme with the International Monetary Fund, IMF.

Speaking on the GTV Breakfast show, July 7, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said the anti-IMF stance of the president and his vice in times past had come back to haunt them.

“It is the utterances of President Akufo-Addo and his ministers and Vice-President that have created the impression that the IMF is like a monster and anybody who seeks support has been a failure that is why that person is seeking support.

“Their utterances have come home to haunt them. With their capitulation now, if you want to defend them, it would be easier to defend the devil at the gate of heaven than to defend President Akufo-Addo on the state of the economy."

On the subject of economic management, Asiedu Nketia stressed: "We need somebody with practical hands-on experience of handling such crises not someone who will be quoting textbooks because in economics you are told that ‘all things being equal’ but all things are never equal in the real world.”

Government started talks with an IMF team on July 7 with the engagement expected to extend through to July 13.

Government is seeking a rescue programme with the fund in the face of an economic downturn that it says has been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.