President John Mahama is pleading with the World Bank not to be quick in withdrawing financial assistance to Ghana. The president made the plea at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions ongoing in New York. The World Bank which is the world’s largest single donor cuts off financial assistance to countries that attain middle income status. Ghana in 2010 attained a lower middle income status which meant she now has a per capita income of over a $1,000 and would have to go to the financial market to borrow at commercial rates instead of relying on the World Bank for concessionary loan facilities. President Mahama told the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, Ghana is not completely out of the woods yet and a complete withdrawal of financial assistance could spell doom for the country. Joy News’ Presidential correspondent, Seth Kwame Boateng who is with the president in New York reported John Mahama as saying Ghana needs to make a smooth transition into the middle income status having been a developing country for a long time. He stressed Ghana’s poverty reduction programmes could suffer if the transition is not well thought through. Deputy Finance Minister Seth Terpker, said the President’s plea for a negotiation has been taken on board but a final decision is yet to be made. According to him, other countries have also taken advantage of the same opportunity to discuss the possibility of negotiating with the World Bank to continue with its concessionary loans even after they have attained middle income status. The president is meanwhile expected to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Information Minister Fritz Baffoe told Boateng the president will be touting the achievements of the president.