The government has reacted to the editorial published in The Point on Monday 20 October 2025 in which the Paper accuses the government of spinning its performance under the IMF programmes 2017 to date.
The Paper also pointed out that the mere existence of the programme itself indicates weak leadership and system failure on governance and public financial management policy framework, forcing government to respond which reads below:
“The Point editorial, Monday 20th October 2025, literally accused the government of spinning its performance under the IMF programs 2017 to date. It claimed that the mere existence of the program itself is a reflection of weak leadership and system failure on our governance and public financial management policy framework. These are very strong statements coming from a leading mainstream media with respectable influence and wide readership in this country serious enough to be ignored.
Let's interrogate the facts.
- Claimed of spinning - the IMF mission issued an independent press statement and pointed out clearly that views expressed are entirely theirs (i.e., the staff mission). The joint press conference held at the end of the mission allowed both the Authority and the Fund to express their perspective on the implementation of the ECF 3-year program. Both the fund and the Authority take responsibility for the views expressed at the conference, and parties were free to agree or disagree as it were. Spinning has no place in such settings.
- Since independent to date, this is the only administration that has successfully implemented an IMF program transiting from a two year staff monitored program to the an extended credit facility to a 2nd ECF now in its 4th review (I.e. 2nd year of a 3-year program cycle successfully implemented. Of course, the findings are not all straight but not material enough to derail it, as was the case in previous programs.
- Of course, each program based on an informed diagnostic assessment focuses on a set of economic policy solutions to bring about stability, growth, and welfare of the citizens. The broad range of problems relates typically associated with economies such as ours are recession, instability, indebtness, balance of payment problems, poverty, and unemployment among others;
- Your editorial is correct in saying that if we had the resources like the West, the Middle East, or some Asian countries, we wouldn't have had IMF hand-holding us. The reality is that to the extent that we need foreign lenders and investors in our economy, there would be IMF to look after certain interest including global stability through surveillance, advisory, and technical support while assisting us to grow and eventual develop. Not all will agree!! I got it.”
