Salaga South Member of Parliament, Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah, has commended the Minister of Finance for briefing Parliament on Ghana’s conclusion of its US$3 billion Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund, noting that cedi stability is already easing the burden on market women and household budgets.
Contributing to the Minister’s statement on the floor of Parliament, Hajia Ibrahimah said that while the IMF Executive Board’s positive assessment of Ghana’s program is important, the practical effects on daily life matter most to ordinary citizens.
“Speaking from a purely mother, woman, trader, and household keeper’s perspective, the Finance Minister mentioned the stability of the cedi, and that for us is what it is,” she told the House.
Hajia Ibrahimah explained that women who manage household finances and trade in the markets depend heavily on exchange rate predictability to plan purchases and stock inventory. “For every woman who goes to the market, the stability of the cedi enables us to plan because women are the budget managers of the household,” she added.
The Salaga South MP said the current period of relative cedi stability allows traders to price goods more confidently and reduces the pressure on family budgets that have been affected by sharp price swings in recent years.
