Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Damongo MP, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has urged the government to carefully assess the potential benefits and risks of Ghana’s planned membership of BRICS.
According to him, while joining the emerging economic bloc could create new opportunities for Ghana, including access to funding and new international partnerships, the decision could also have implications for the country’s national interests.
His comments follow Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s announcement that Cabinet had approved Ghana’s decision to formally apply to join BRICS as part of efforts to diversify the country’s international partnerships and strengthen South-South cooperation.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Jinapor said Ghana’s foreign policy must always be guided by the national interest.
“All foreign policy must be near to national interests. So there’s absolutely no benefit in a foreign policy move if it does not inure to the national interest of a particular country.”
He acknowledged that BRICS membership could expand Ghana’s partnerships beyond its traditional allies but stressed that the possible consequences must be carefully considered.
“There’s absolutely no free lunch,” he said.
Mr Jinapor questioned the government’s argument that BRICS membership could provide Ghana with new sources of funding, particularly through the New Development Bank (NDB).
He said it was important to determine whether such funding would actually give Ghana greater financial independence if access to it was subject to conditions involving existing international institutions.
“We are told that we may be in a position to source some new funding from the New Development Bank of BRICS,” he said.
“But we are also told that even to access funding from that bank, there’s a condition precedent that the IMF has to give authorisation. So if that is the case, what is the implication?”
The former Lands and Natural Resources Minister also said Parliament must examine the potential economic and political influence of major BRICS countries such as China and Russia.
Mr Jinapor urged the government to study the experiences of countries that have already joined BRICS before proceeding with Ghana’s application.
He cited Ethiopia, which he said had benefited from assistance and funding opportunities through the NDB but had also faced challenges, including concerns about trade imbalances and increased imports from BRICS countries, particularly China.
“We need to take a look at what has been the experience of some of those countries which have joined,” he said.
He said Ghana could learn from how BRICS membership has affected the economies and international relations of existing members.
BRICS currently has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Jinapor also raised concerns about Ghana’s relationship with South Africa, a founding BRICS member.
“Our bilateral relationship with South Africa is almost at the bottom’s end,” he said.
He questioned how the current state of Ghana-South Africa relations could affect Ghana’s participation in a bloc where Pretoria remains an important member.
Mr Jinapor said the Foreign Affairs Committee had so far received only a general briefing from the Foreign Affairs Minister and had not fully examined the government’s decision.
“We need a lot more reflection on this particular move,” he said.
He agreed that diversifying Ghana’s international partnerships could be beneficial but said the country’s long-standing policy of non-alignment must also be considered.
“It is all good to diversify our partnerships, but without doubt, this will come with some implications as well, some of which may be adverse to our national interest as a country,” Mr Jinapor said.
The government has said the BRICS bid is intended to give Ghana more options for development financing, trade, investment and industrialisation while complementing its existing relationships with traditional development partners.
