*GOVERNMENT PAYS GH¢48.8BN IN COMPENSATION, GH¢10BN TO DOMESTIC BOND HOLDERS, $700M FOR EUROBOND DEBT SERVICE* Government has paid out *GH¢48.8 billion* for compensation of public sector workers and *GH¢10 billion* to domestic bond holders so far in 2026, as part of efforts to meet key obligations approved in the 2026 Budget. The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed this while presenting the *Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget* in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "In the spirit of transparency and accountability allow me to live before this house a clear account of some of the expenditure we have made so far to support government program across the sectors approved in the twenty twenty-six budget," he stated. On public sector pay, Dr. Forson gave a breakdown of the compensation bill. "Mr speaker, first to compensate public sector workers an amount of 4.8 billion Ghana cities for compensation of employees has been paid including 4 billion Ghan

*GOVERNMENT DEPOSITS GH¢400M, WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT BANK TO START OPERATIONS BEFORE END OF 2026* Government has deposited *GH¢400 million* as initial capital for the Women's Development Bank, with the bank expected to commence full operations before the end of 2026. The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed this while presenting the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "Government has made progress towards the establishment of the Women's Development Bank. On the twenty-sixth of January twenty twenty-six the bank was formally incorporated as WDB Ghana Limited," he stated. Dr. Forson said following incorporation, government applied to the *Bank of Ghana* for the requisite banking license. "Mr speaker following its incorporation government applied to the Bank of Ghana for the requisite banking license to enable the bank commence operations," he told the House. To meet the capital requirement for licensing, the M

*GOVERNMENT TO TABLE NEW COCOBOD BILL, GUARANTEES FARMERS 70% OF FOB PRICE AND 50% LOCAL PROCESSING* Government will present a new COCOBOD Bill to Parliament to repeal and replace the Ghana COCOBOD Act 1984, PNDC Law 81, as part of efforts to modernize the governance and financing of the sector. The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, announced this while presenting the *Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget* in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "To modernize the governance and financing of the sector, government will submit a new Cocoa Board Bill to parliament to repeal and replace the Ghana Cocoa Board Act nineteen eighty-four PNDC Law eighty-one," he stated. Dr. Forson said the proposed legislation will introduce a new producer pricing mechanism and guarantee farmers a minimum share of export earnings. "The proposed legislation will introduce a new producer pricing mechanism that aligns producer price with movement in international coco price, exchang

*ACCRA-KUMASI EXPRESSWAY CLEARS 70% OF CORRIDOR, TRAVEL TIME TO DROP TO 2 HOURS* The government says it has cleared *70%* of the corridor for the Accra-Kumasi Expressway, the flagship project under the *Big Push Program*, with the entire route expected to be cleared by the first week of September 2026. The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed this while presenting the *Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget* in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "The Accra Kumasi Expressway remains the flagship under the Big Push Program. It involves the construction of one seventy-six kilometer. Six lane by directional expressway. Linking Ghana's two largest commercial cities," stated. Dr. Forson said the expressway will cut travel time between the two cities to about two hours when completed. "When completed, Mr Speaker, the expressway will reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi to about two hours. Improve road safety ease congestion, lower transport cos

*GOVERNMENT TO BUILD 1,200MW STATE-OWNED GAS PLANT IN KOMENDA, TARIFFS TO DROP 10-20%* Government is developing a 1,200 megawatt state-owned combined cycle gas-fired power plant* in *Komenda*, a project expected to cut electricity tariffs by up to 20% and create over 2,000 jobs. The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed this while presenting the *Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget* in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026. "The project developed a thousand two hundred megawatts state owned combined cycle gas fire power plant at in the commander to speak up have confirmed the project viability with environmental engineering and permitting processes progressing steadily,"* he stated. The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in 2028. "The first six hundred megawatt phase is expected to be commissioned in twenty-eight," Dr. Forson told the House. To reduce costs, government procured the gas turbines directly from GE Vernova, achievi