The outgoing United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has bemoaned setbacks in the implementation of the second Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC), which led to the cancellation of over $190 million in funding.
In an interview on The Point of View on Channel One TV with Bernard Avle, Ambassador Palmer described the failure as personally disappointing and emphasized the need for reforms to restore Ghana's eligibility for future compacts. "I told former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that I would work with him to see if we could get another compact.
Because there were some missteps on the second compact, and we had to cancel a hundred and ninety-something million dollars - to my personal disappointment and also the disappointment of the Millennium Challenge Compact." Despite the setback, Ambassador Palmer noted that Ghana remains well-positioned for future consideration, citing the country's strong governance and efforts to combat corruption.
However, she stressed that comprehensive reforms in the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) are critical to both Ghana's eligibility for future MCC support and the broader economic health of the country. "A key element is the financial viability of ECG, because the ECG is bleeding - and it's bleeding more than we thought.
