DIY – Why this IMF Programme too will fail again!

After the Second World War, Japan was devastated. The nation had lost the war and was forced to surrender after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By treaty, the United States of America gained control over that country.

The country’s resources were depleted, its lands destroyed, and its people defeated. However, their resolve to rebuild their nation was unbroken. The Emperor accepted the harsh reality. They gave up all military interests and adopted a pacifist constitution, focusing on reconstruction. By 1980, after two generations, about 40 years after the war, Japan was described as the land of the Rising Sun, representing so much promise to put even the mighty Unites Stated of America in the shade. It was the second largest economy in the world, its businesses taking on and beating American behemoths.

Admittedly, Japan is an ancient civilisation, and by the Second World War had built quite an industrial base. The resolve of the Japanese government and people to get to the business of building their country again is what, in my opinion, saw it very quickly recovering and becoming the economic power and developed society it is today.

Ghana is currently under its 17th IMF programme since 1966. It is a national disgrace. Unfortunately, as a people we are not confident this will be the turning point to our prosperity as a people. We do not except it to be our last. Even the government admits that this programme is not an end but merely the beginning of necessary reforms.

This is not new though. For decades Ghana has needed to make structural and institutional reforms if it was to meet the aspirations and ambitions of her people. It's never been done thoroughly, successfully, comprehensively and strategically by any of our own governments. IMF and World Bank conditionalities tend to be the only goad that force us to confront the systemic issues that bedevil our society. This reliance on external intervention highlights a fundamental problem: a lack of humility.

The Bible teaches that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). This principle, though often overlooked by our technocrats, is crucial for economic development. Our persistent failure to embrace humility and self-reliance has hindered our progress. The God we keep calling on, might be resisting us because of our pride.

Why do I say we are proud? Dag Heward-Mills quotes James 4.10, in his book, Formula for Humility, showing that the humble way that delivers the graces and helps of God, requires that we 'do-it-yourself' (DIY) the humbling.

Continuing to not do-it-ourselves explains why an IMF program is what gets us to put in the raft of tax and tariff measures that the government has latterly rushed through Parliament. Many decisions and policies need to be put in place for businesses to grow, for education to be effective, for healthcare to be widely available, for infrastructure to be built to support our economic goals. We have decisions to implement for our capital markets to solve Ghanaian problems of housing, employment, and industrialisation.

We, the people, the citizens of the Republic of Ghana must make these decisions and do these works. Passing it off to an IMF programme (or a structural adjustment programme) means we don't do it. It is not taking the humble road of building, daily, but turning again to others for support and direction. Applying Heward-Mills' principle of DIY humility, will make us graced, assisted, and able to overcome the difficulties we have had for generations. We need all the help to move this country forward and create opportunities for our young population.

Practically, we must now take steps, humbly, by Doing It Ourselves, and here I offer five suggestions:

1. Let's do it ourselves, by growing and eating our own chicken. Let's stop the annual import of nearly US$1billion dollars of meat.

2. Let's do it ourselves, by building our roads with local materials—concrete, stones, sand—and use local contractors paid in Ghana Cedis, which we have in abundance.

3. Let's do it ourselves by supporting our local businesses. Let us buy their goods, for instance, by supporting the second-hand car market.

4. Let's do it ourselves by not borrowing externally again to purchase cocoa. We have grown and exported cocoa for over 100 years. Let us work to finance it ourselves now!

5. Let's do it ourselves by finding and using all the successful minds Ghana is abundantly blessed with to drive national progress!

It is time for Ghana to embrace DIY humility. By taking responsibility for our own development, we can create a prosperous future for our nation. Let us be inspired by Japan’s example and commit to the hard work of rebuilding our country from within.

Let us DIY it! Kwasi Deh is the General Secretary of the Ghana Charismatic Bishops' Conference