IMF, World Bank: No $ For Ghana If It Enacts Its Anti LGBTQ+ Laws

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Ghana could lose $3.8 billion of World Bank funding if its anti-LGBTQ legislation is signed into law, the West African nation’s Finance Ministry has warned. A $3 billion IMF loan package could also be jeopardized, it claimed on Monday. The parliament of Ghana passed the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill last Wednesday to toughen a 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.

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On Friday, the IMF said it is “closely” monitoring events in Ghana after MPs passed the bill. The Washington-based institution says its policies prohibit “discrimination based on personal characteristics, including but not limited to gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.” The World Bank has also said it is preparing a response.

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