Nearly $7 billion worth of aid could be jeopardized if the legislation is signed into law, the country’s finance ministry has warned
Ghana could lose $3.8 billion of World Bank funding if new anti-LGBTQ legislation is signed into law, the West African nation’s Finance Ministry has cautioned. A $3 billion IMF loan package could also be jeopardized, officials claimed on Monday.
The Ghanaian parliament passed the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill last Wednesday, toughening an ongoing crackdown on homosexual activity. The measure, which now requires the signature of President Nana Akufo-Addo, will impose up to a three-year jail sentence on anyone identifying as LGBTQ.
It also criminalizes gay rights advocacy, with a maximum five-year jail term for establishing or funding gay groups.
“For 2024, Ghana will lose $600 million budget support and $250 million for the Financial Stability Fund,” the Finance Ministry said in a policy brief. The document outlined the economic implications of the anti-LGBTQ bill for Ghana’s cooperation with the World Bank over the next five to six years and other international partners, including Germany, which has opposed the law’s passage.
www.rt.com/africa/593815-anti-lgbtq-law-ghana-risks-losing-world-bank-imf-funding/