Akuffo Addo’s address on COVID-19 and the IMF deal. (full text)
The scientists and health experts tell us that we no longer have a public health emergency of international concern.
It has led to the strengthening of our disease surveillance system, and this has been manifested in recent months by our ability to deal, in a very rapid and aggressive way, with outbreaks of frightening diseases like Marburg, Lassa fever, Monkey Pox, before they could turn into serious public health catastrophes.
It is likely, God willing, that this will be the last in the series of ‘Fellow Ghanaians’ speeches on COVID, and, as your President, I have a truly long list of people and institutions I must take this opportunity to thank.
I acknowledge the fact that digital technologies and drones helped very much in getting vaccines and medications to hard-to-reach areas, and I am glad they have become an integral part of our health delivery system
The first tranche of six hundred (600) million US dollars has been credited to our national account, out of the three (3) billion US dollars that we have negotiated to receive within a period of thirty-six (36) months.
Fellow Ghanaians, access to the IMF facility will not spell the immediate end of the difficulties we are in presently, but the fact that we have been able to negotiate such a deal sends a positive message to our trading partners, creditors and investors; a positive message that will be underpinned by the discipline, hard work and enterprise with which we execute the programme.
It should lead to the restoration of confidence and the reopening of avenues that had been closed to us this past year and a half. It should also lead to the resumption of many of the infrastructural projects that have stalled.
