President John Dramani Mahama has declared that his administration will not host celebratory “kenkey and waakye parties” upon successfully concluding Ghana’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, emphasising that stabilising the economy remains an ongoing task.
Speaking at a citizens’ engagement forum at the Ndewura Jakpa Senior High School in the Savannah Region on Saturday, 23rd May 2026, the President revealed that the IMF’s latest review mission concluded last week with a positive assessment.
The fund is now expected to recommend that its Executive Board approve the release of the final $380 million disbursement to support the Ghanaian economy.
Despite the looming successful exit, President Mahama took a subtle jab at the previous Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration, contrasting his cautious approach with past celebrations following IMF interventions.
”The missions that came approved the programme and the final mission just left Ghana last week and they have given us a satisfying mark,” President Mahama said. “It is now going to the board to release the last tranche of $380 million to support our economy, but we are not going to have a kenkey party because it is still a work in progress.”
Correcting a ‘Derailing’ Programme
The President explained that when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office in January 2025, they inherited an IMF-supported programme that was on the brink of collapse due to missed targets.
According to Mahama, key economic performance indicators agreed upon with the fund had gone significantly off track under the previous government, requiring immediate and stringent intervention from his team to restore fiscal discipline.
”We inherited the IMF programme from the previous government,” Mahama stated. “At the time we took over, all the agreed performance indicators were out of track, which meant that the programme was in danger of derailment. So, we had to take some stringent actions to bring it back into alignment, and we were able to do that.”
Next Steps to Board Approval
Following the corrective fiscal policies implemented over the last few months, subsequent IMF review teams have acknowledged the government’s progress in stabilising the economy.
With the final staff-level evaluation completed last week, the government now awaits the formal nod from the IMF Executive Board in Washington, D.C., to unlock the final tranche of funding.
President Mahama reiterated that while the upcoming disbursement is a milestone, the country’s broader economic recovery will require sustained discipline well beyond the lifecycle of the IMF programme.