Ghana’s development efforts have received international recognition, with a top official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighting the country’s steady progress in key areas such as electricity access and living standards.
The Director of the African Department at the IMF, Abebe Aemro Selassie, made the remarks during an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, January 21. He credited Ghana’s achievements to the collective work of its people and institutions, stressing that the progress was not driven by IMF programmes.
“There has been tremendous progress in Ghana,” Selassie said. “This is not on account of the IMF or its programmes, but what the Ghanaian people, governments, businesses, Parliament and civil society have done. When I look at Ghana’s record, there have been strong improvements in development outcomes.”
He highlighted power accessibility as one of the most visible areas of improvement, noting that access to electricity has risen dramatically over the past two decades.
“Indicators like electricity access used to be around 30 to 40 percent about 20 years ago, but now it is closer to 90 percent or even more,” he explained. “That kind of progress has had a real impact on quality of life.”
Despite these gains, Selassie cautioned that Ghana still faces notable challenges, especially in the areas of job creation and economic stability. He observed that while infrastructure and living conditions have improved, employment growth has not kept pace.
He also pointed to recurring macroeconomic instability, particularly during election cycles, as a major concern.
“Where there hasn’t been much progress is job creation and volatility in macroeconomic indicators, especially around the electoral cycle,” he noted, stressing the need for sustained reforms and long-term planning.
Selassie concluded by urging Ghana to build on its existing strengths while addressing structural weaknesses to ensure inclusive and stable economic growth in the years ahead.
