President John Mahama says no decision has been taken by government to enter into an IMF programme as has been alleged by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The NPP at a news conference Monday, raised concerns over a supposed agreement that the government of Ghana had reached with the World Bank/IMF which will see government embark on a mass retrenchment of civil/public office staff strength.

According to Paul Afoko, the National Chairman of the NPP, the downsizing exercise which is expected to take off in 2015, forms part of "home grown policies" government has already adopted and communicated to the IMF. The party subsequently declined the invitation to participate in the National Economic Forum which begun Tuesday at Senchi near Akosombo in the Eastern Region.

But addressing the gathering to open the forum, President John Mahama said there was no such agreement between his administration and the IMF.  

" ...As president I have not taken any decision to enter our country into an IMF programme," Mr. Mahama said.

The president said the document being quoted by the NPP was "work in progress" which was to be followed by broad-based consultations including the ongoing economic dialogue at Senchi.

He therefore described as a "tragedy" for the largest opposition political party to exclude itself from such an important forum which is to solicit ideas from participants to help in formulating new policies to prosecute the nation's developmental agenda.