Business News of Thursday, 4 May 2023

Source: otecfmghana.com

$710m World Bank loan agreement will improve food security - Majority Leader

Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

The Majority Leader of Parliament, Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu says the recent loan agreement between Ghana and the World Bank will improve the country’s food security.

According to him, some component of the facility seeks to empower farmers in the country to capitalize on the advent of new technologies to provide enough food for the country.

The Member of Parliament for Suame said this in an exclusive interview with OTEC Captain Koda on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's breakfast show Nyansapo on Wednesday.

Parliament on May 3, 2023, held an emergency sitting in which seven loan agreements were approved.

The $750 million loan deal is to enhance public sector reforms, food security, COVID-19 response measures and digital acceleration agenda.

Among the loan facilities approved, was an on-lending agreement between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group for an amount of $150 million to finance the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme phase two under the Multipurpose Programme Approach.

With the Minority questioning the government's decision to go for additional loans when Ghana is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund IMF, Hon Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu noted this facility will empower farmers to provide food buffers for the country.

He added that Ghana needed to build resilient food supply systems to avoid any future food shortage taking cue from other neighboring countries suffering from acute food shortages as a result of famine and civil wars.