Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, will today, Thursday, present the Government’s 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament, with the proposed US$10 billion “New Economy” investment programme expected to take centre stage.
The presentation, scheduled for 1800 hours, is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), and is being made on the authority of President John Dramani Mahama.
The budget is expected to outline the Government’s revenue mobilisation and expenditure plans, including projections for taxation, borrowing, public spending, economic growth, inflation and employment.
At the centre of the proposed policy direction is a four-year investment programme covering 2027 to 2030, which the Government says is intended to move the economy beyond stabilisation towards increased production, job creation and shared prosperity.
The budget will be the first since Ghana completed its three-year US$3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme and signed on to a new three-year, non-financing Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) programme.
Under the New Economy initiative, the Government plans to invest approximately US$2.5 billion annually in strategic sectors to translate the gains from macroeconomic stabilisation into productive investments and employment opportunities.
The priority sectors include agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, infrastructure, industrial expansion, energy, critical minerals and value addition, cotton, textiles and garments, tourism, culture and the creative economy, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Dr Forson has explained that the programme is intended to expand domestic production, increase local processing of raw materials instead of exporting them in their unprocessed state, and strengthen the capacity of Ghanaian businesses to compete in domestic and international markets.
Agriculture and agro-processing are expected to receive the largest share of the investment, with President Mahama earlier indicating that US$5 billion, representing half of the programme’s total funding, would be allocated to the sector over the four-year period.
The investment is expected to support irrigation development, expand year-round farming and strengthen agro-processing, with interventions including the Tomato Revitalisation Project and efforts to improve agricultural production in areas with significant farming potential.
The agricultural investment is expected to complement existing interventions under the Feed Ghana Programme, which has seen the deployment of 506 agricultural brigade officers nationwide to strengthen extension services and provide technical support to farmers and agribusinesses.
The officers are expected to support increased food production, improve agricultural practices, monitor programme implementation and strengthen the link between national agricultural policies and implementation at the district level.
The New Economy agenda also comes against the backdrop of the Government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative, which has secured project agreements worth US5.5billionwithinaninvestmentpipelinevaluedatUS11.5 billion.
Four projects under the initiative are expected to generate more than 160,000 direct jobs, while 268 filling stations and 33 manufacturing companies have commenced operations under the multi-shift system.
Infrastructure development is another critical component of the Government’s economic transformation agenda. The Big Push Infrastructure Programme, launched in September 2025, is a US$10 billion, five-year national investment programme intended to accelerate the rehabilitation and upgrading of critical transport infrastructure.
The programme is expected to improve connectivity, open up agricultural production areas, facilitate trade, create employment and reduce the cost of doing business across the country.
Dr Forson presents the budget against an improved macroeconomic backdrop compared with a year ago, with economic growth reaching six per cent in the second quarter of 2026, while annual inflation declined to 5.2 per cent in September.
However, the country’s external reserves have come under pressure. Bank of Ghana data indicate that gross international reserves declined from US13.83billioninDecember2025toUS11.07 billion in August 2026, equivalent to 4.2 months of import cover, down from 5.7 months.
The financing of the proposed investment programme is expected to be a key issue, particularly as economic observers weigh the need to sustain fiscal discipline against calls for increased productive expenditure to accelerate job creation for the country’s growing youth population.
For market traders, farmers and small businesses, the impact of the budget will ultimately be measured by whether improved economic indicators translate into lower lending rates, more affordable credit, and reduced food and utility costs.
Many households and businesses continue to seek tangible improvements in their living and operating conditions despite the reported gains in macroeconomic stability.
Parliament is expected to debate the budget in the coming weeks, with a post-budget workshop scheduled to take place in Ho in the Volta Region.
The proposed investment programme will therefore be closely scrutinised for its financing arrangements, implementation framework, measurable targets and expected economic returns.
The central question for the 2027 fiscal year will be how effectively the Government can sustain the gains made in stabilising the economy while mobilising resources to expand production, create jobs and improve living standards.