A Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Theo Acheampong, has explained that the proposed extension of Ghana’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme is a routine practice and should not raise concern.

The IMF has proposed a three-month extension of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement to allow for the completion of reforms linked to the sixth and final programme review. The proposal was disclosed in the IMF Staff Report released after the Executive Board approved Ghana’s fifth review.

If approved, the extension would move the programme’s end date from May 2026 to August 2026.

In the report, the IMF stated that extending the programme through August 16, 2026, would provide adequate time to reach agreement on policies underpinning the final review, as well as allow for the preparation and circulation of Board documents.

Commenting on the development, Dr Acheampong said Ghana’s sixth and final review is scheduled for April 2026, after which the country will be able to access the final tranche of US$360 million. This will bring total IMF disbursements under the programme since its commencement in May 2023 to US$3 billion.

He noted that although the data cut-off period for the final review is December 2025, some reform-related data points were delayed and are expected later. As a result, the IMF proposed the short technical extension to ensure all requirements are fully met.

Quoting directly from the fifth review report released on December 17, 2025, Dr Acheampong highlighted that the extension is intended to “implement reforms underpinning the sixth and last review” and to provide sufficient time for policy discussions and Board processes.

Reiterating his position in a Facebook post, Dr Acheampong stressed that such short extensions are common in IMF programmes across the world and do not signal any irregularity.

“Such minor extensions are common in IMF programmes worldwide. There is nothing untoward about this,” he said.