Ghana can receive a $1.2bn budgetary support promised it by the World Bank only if the country is able to meet certain tough pre-requisites set by the bank. The World Bank Country Director, Ishac Diwan on Thursday addressed the Parliamentary Select Committee on Finance where he outlined a tall list of conditions the country must satisfy to benefit from the bank’s facility. Mr Diwan prescribes Ghana conducts a “mid-term review of revenues and expenditure and ensure that budgetary deficits are on target. Where they are not, the necessary decisions have to be taken to bring them back.” The bank requires the country to publish fiscal accounts every quarter with at least one quarter account at large. To be able to realise these, the bank suggests the Mills-led government adds another ministry to be in charge of public sector reform apparently to sift public sector payroll of ghost names. Government has also been requested to implement the Freedom of Information Bill, which has yet to receive parliamentary review and approval. The Ministry of Energy must also complete a proposed Electricity Sector Financing Bill to ensure that the sector is financially sustainable. The World Bank wants the draft legislation on the Ghana Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Oil and Gas Fiscal Regime completed. Mr Diwan however promised the bank’s willingness to give Ghana the needed technical assistance on the various bills. Ghana must also “revise the classification of pro-poor expenditure.” Mr Diwan said the country must devise effective ways of utilising funds meant to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of the citizenry. Meanwhile government is yet to respond to the proposals from the Breton Wood institution. Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffour announced earlier that the support from the bank was strategic in meeting the medium to long term targets of the new administration. Play attached audio for excerpts of Mr Diwan's directive to Ghana Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com