- The World Bank Group’s Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, visited Ghana from Wednesday, July 12 to Friday, July 15, 2023. Following her appointment to the role on April 3, 2023, this was her first official trip to Ghana. She visited President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while she was in Ghana.
- She also had high-level discussions with government representatives, such as Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, about Ghana’s World Bank programs, which concentrated on macroeconomic stability, issues in the energy sector, and Ghana’s recently approved IMF-supported program.
- Anna Bjerde reported on the following areas during her visit to Ghana:
- Macroeconomic stability: She discussed with the government officials the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline, reducing debt vulnerabilities, and enhancing revenue mobilization.
- Energy sector issues: She expressed the World Bank’s support for Ghana’s efforts to address the challenges in the power sector, such as improving the efficiency and reliability of electricity supply, reducing losses and arrears, and promoting renewable energy sources.
- Ghana’s IMF program: She commended Ghana for successfully completing its four-year Extended Credit Facility arrangement with the IMF, which helped restore macroeconomic stability and fostered structural reforms. She also encouraged Ghana to continue implementing sound policies and reforms to sustain growth and reduce poverty.
- Significant structural reforms: She highlighted the need for Ghana to accelerate its digital transformation, enhance its human capital development, strengthen its governance and anti-corruption institutions, and diversify its economy to create more jobs and opportunities for its people.
- While in Ghana, Anna Bjerde visited the following locations:
- The Accra Digital Center: a technology park that offers Ghanaian entrepreneurs and innovators a favorable environment for digital innovation. It is home to two World Bank-funded initiatives, the Ghana Tech Hub and the Ghana Innovation Hub, which assist start-ups, entrepreneurs, and innovators in developing and scaling up their digital solutions.
- The Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project: a World Bank-funded initiative with the goal of boosting equality and accountability in Ghana’s education system while raising educational standards in low-performing basic education institutions. It encourages community involvement, teacher training, curriculum creation, learning assessment, and school grants, among other interventions.
- Anna Bjerde expressed her gratitude for the friendly reception and hospitality she received from the Ghanaian government and people as she left the country. She also underlined the World Bank’s dedication to assisting Ghana in achieving its development goals and overcoming its major obstacles.
- “I am very impressed by the strides Ghana has made in recent years to eradicate poverty, enhance social outcomes, and fortify its institutions,” she remarked. I applaud the government for its steadfast leadership and forward-thinking approach to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and reducing its negative economic and social effects. The World Bank Group is prepared to keep partnering with Ghana in order to assist it realize its goals of building a successful and inclusive society.