Ghana Finance Minister Ato Forson Presents 2026 Mid-Year Budget Highlighting Growth, IMF Exit and SOE Listings

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented Ghana’s 2026 Mid‑Year Fiscal Policy Review to Parliament on 23 July 2026. He announced that the Ghanaian economy has exceeded US$100 billion for the first time, positioning the country as Africa’s eighth‑largest economy, with inflation falling to around 3 % and a primary surplus of 1.5 % of GDP.

The IMF’s Executive Board is expected next week to approve the final review of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility programme and to launch a 36‑month Policy Coordination Instrument to anchor further reforms. In parallel, the government disclosed plans to list selected state‑owned enterprises, including major state‑owned banks such as the Agricultural Development Bank and the National Investment Bank, on the Ghana Stock Exchange to improve governance and attract private capital.

Forson also acknowledged Ghana’s heavy reliance on gold, which accounts for about 68 % of export earnings, and outlined a “New Economy” diversification agenda aimed at expanding other sectors. The Flood Mitigation Task Force began demolishing illegal structures on waterways in Accra to reduce seasonal flooding. Opposition members criticised the budget’s fiscal surplus as a result of spending cuts rather than genuine growth, and former finance minister Amin Adam called the review lacking in concrete solutions. Local residents in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese area demanded road‑funding allocations in the budget.