Vice President at policy think tank IMANI Africa, Bright Simons has raised alarming concerns about the World Bank's operations in Ghana.

In a recent tweet, Mr Simons cast a spotlight on the alleged discrepancies between the World Bank's portrayal of its projects in Ghana citing his policy paper for the Paris-based Finance for Development Lab (FDL) as a point of reference, revealing a gap between the World Bank's reports and the lived experiences of Ghanaians.Simons' investigation into the World Bank's nearly $4 billion portfolio in Ghana shows that the reported outcomes are often at odds with reality, with a deviation occurring approximately 70% of the time. This alarming statistic raises questions about the effectiveness of the World Bank's efforts in the country.

The paper scrutinizes several projects, including the Ghana Energy Development & Access Program (GEDAP) and the e-Ghana/e-Transform initiatives.

Despite high disbursement rates and positive ratings, these programs have not delivered the promised improvements. For example, the GEDAP aimed to reduce losses for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) but instead saw an increase in losses and fines for non-compliance with regulatory directives.

Similarly, the e-Ghana project, which sought to digitize various government services, has been plagued by inefficiencies and bypassing of systems.

screenshot of Bright Simons' post on X

The Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), despite being praised as a major accomplishment, was largely ignored, with over 86% of government payments circumventing the system.

The e-Procurement module, launched to cut government procurement costs, was found to be ineffective, with most tenders posted for negligible amounts and many lacking award amounts, undermining the goal of a transparent e-procurement platform.

Simons' findings suggest that the World Bank's focus on disbursement rates does not necessarily lead to positive social outcomes.

He points out that Ghana's growth model has led to an increase in poverty and inequality, contrasting with countries like Kenya, which have seen improvements in these areas.

The paper concludes with a call for greater involvement of domestic activists and the establishment of "community rating agencies" to ensure that development finance leads to real social impact.

Such agencies could provide not just information but also political pressure to correct project execution issues proactively or preemptively, potentially avoiding the neocolonialist implications often associated with World Bank and IMF conditionality.

Simons' revelations suggest a need for a fundamental reevaluation of the World Bank's approach to development finance, particularly in how it measures and reports on the success of its projects.