Economist calls the bluff of donors over LGBTQ+ Bill
By Isaac AIDOO, Accra
Professor Lord Mensah, a finance expert at the University of Ghana Business School, has dismissed concerns regarding the potential consequences of Ghana losing foreign aid following the recent passage of the LGBTQ+ Bill by Parliament.
In response to worries about the $3.8 billion due from the World Bank, Prof Mensah suggested that while there might be short-term challenges, efforts could be made in the long run to generate revenue domestically for development purposes.
He emphasized that Ghana’s programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not explicitly oppose the passing of an anti-gay bill, indicating that the country has the autonomy to pursue its legislative agenda without interference from international financial institutions. “We can do without them.
Even in the Finance Ministry’s statement, they make reference to the fact that if the President should go ahead and assent to the Bill, we have to find other means of cushioning ourselves, which is expenditure rationalization, revenue enhancement and others that the IMF will advise we tap into,” Prof Mensah pointed out. He asked, “which part of the IMF conditionalities told us not to assent to the LGBTQ+ Bill?
There is nothing like that.” Prof Mensah urged President Akufo-Addo to proceed with assenting to the bill, turning it into law. “The President should assent to the Bill.
Somebody sitting somewhere cannot disrespect us for us to do man to man and woman to woman marriage before they extend financial aid to us,” he concluded.
