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Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has denied claims that Ghana has once again been classified in the category of highly indebted poor countries (HIPC).
According to him, the numerous posts circulating on social media claiming that the country has returned to HIPC are fake and fake news.
Speaking at the Nation Building Updates on Tuesday in Accra, the minister noted that with the country approaching general elections in December, there is a deliberate attempt to discredit the work the government has done since taking office in 2017 to revive the economy.
He said that “there are suggestions that are spreading particularly on social media that Ghana has been declared HIPC again and I am sure you will have noticed that many people are sharing materials on social media that the IMF or World Bank have declared to Ghana. HIPC or Ghana is listed as one of the HIPC countries and is a suggestion that the economy is not in as good shape as we claim.
“For the avoidance of doubt and because we have also mentioned that we are aware that some people in the weeks leading up to the elections will seek to spread a lot of false information and false news, it is important to respond quickly right here and right now. We categorically tell you that it is not true that Ghana has been declared HIPC or has been added to the list of HIPC countries, “he added.
The HIPC was a group of 39 developing countries with high levels of poverty and over-indebtedness that were eligible to receive financial assistance from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral, bilateral and commercial creditors between 1996 and 2001.
It was designed to ensure the reduction of the debt levels of poor and indebted countries.
The Minister emphasized that the HIPC was a program limited to a particular moment in which Ghana and several African countries applied, benefited, exited and ended.
“The publication lists the countries that participated and qualified for it. Currently, there is no HIPC program that no country can qualify for, so if someone is spreading it and adding a narrative that suggests that Ghana is now a heavily indebted poor country and it has been listed in an IMF or World Bank publication as such.
However, the Minister encouraged the general public to ignore such posts. He also admonished the media to be prudent and conduct thorough background checks before publishing news.
