Ms Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s Managing Director for Operations will pay a three-day working visit to Ghana from July 12 to 15 to deliberate on ways to support the country’s economic recovery efforts.
Ms Bjerde would meet with Ghanaian authorities to discuss macroeconomic issues, including the country’s ongoing US$3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan support programme.
Discussions would also centre on debt restructuring and structural reforms, as well as energy sector issues needed to accelerate Ghana’s sustainable economic growth in a medium to long term.
Her visit to the country, which is the first since her appointment as the MD on April 3, 2023, would feature discussions with President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister.
She would also visit World Bank-financed projects, including Ghana Accountability and Learning Outcomes Project, Ghana Tech Hub, and Ghana Innovation Hub at the Accra Digital Centre.
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The World Bank has been in Ghana since 1957, and has an active portfolio worth $3.6 billion across 21 projects.
The portfolio is spread across several sectors, with the largest investments in Urban Resilience and Land (17 per cent), Health, Nutrition and Population (16 per cent), Finance and Competitiveness (14 per cent), Social Protection & Jobs (12 per cent) and Digital Development (11 per cent).
Her current office is responsible for producing ground-breaking analytical work informing policy reforms, priority investments, technical assistance, and targeted poverty reduction.
World Bank operations are grounded in a country-based model and focuses on responding to poverty reduction, equitable growth, and climate change.
Before becoming the Managing Director of Operations, Ms Bjerde served as the Vice President for Europe and Central Asia.
There, she led the World Bank’s efforts to steer the region through a series of overlapping global shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, natural disasters, and the Bank’s large-scale response to Ukraine.
She previously worked as Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Between 2015-2018, she oversaw the World Bank’s strategies, lending, and analytical work for Sustainable Development, covering all the World Bank’s regions.
She held a leadership role overseeing the World Bank’s operations in Sustainable Development and Infrastructure in the Africa region between 2011-2013.
Ms Bjerde who holds a Master’s in Business and Economics from the University of Stockholm has over 30 years of experience in inclusive growth and sustainable infrastructure development.
GNA