Ghana, an oft-lauded African economy, is back for a 17th bail-out

at Kaneshie market in Accra, the capital of Ghana, peers into a small bag of scrabbling crabs with disappointment. “Before, if I buy two cedis’ worth, it can make my stew for me,” she says. “Now, no.” As shoppers moan about inflation, traders grumble about slow sales. Many blame the government. “The finance minister, if I catch him, me, I will beat him,” declares Esther, a yam-seller with a twinkle in her eye. Fully 87% of Ghanaians think the country is going in the wrong direction, according to a survey in April by Afrobarometer, a pollster. The economy is a big reason. Annual inflation hit 30% in June, its highest for 18 years. This year the central bank has increased interest rates by 4.5 percentage points, to 19%, but the cedi has nonetheless fallen by 28% against the dollar.