Hon. Sulemana Adams Commends Government’s Fiscal Discipline, Backs 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review Hon. Sulemana Adams has praised the government’s fiscal management, arguing that the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review demonstrates prudent planning and a commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s economic future. Contributing to the debate in Parliament, the MP said the government is rebuilding the country’s sinking fund to ensure Ghana is well-prepared to meet its future debt obligations rather than waiting until repayments become due. According to him, GH¢13.6 billion had already been accumulated in the sinking fund as of July 2026, with government targeting GH¢30 billion by the end of the year to settle debts maturing in 2026. “This government looks ahead. We will not wait until we are declared bankrupt. We will not wait until we cannot pay our debt. We will not wait until Fitch, Moody’s and other rating agencies downgrade this economy,” he stated. Hon. Sulemana Adams also rejected claims that go

*Pay Cocoa Farmers First Before New Projects, Patrick Boamah Tells Government* The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah, has urged government to prioritize the payment of cocoa farmers in Ajumako before embarking on new capital projects in the area. Contributing to the debate on the Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Hon. Boamah said while the people of Ajumako need jobs, siting a military barracks and a new specialist hospital in the district does not address their immediate concerns. “Mr. Speaker, the people of Ajumako need jobs but he decided to send them a military barracks. That is the problem,” he stated. “Mr. Speaker, the Specialist Hospital in Cape Coast is one of the best hospitals. He decided to site a specialist hospital worth over GH¢850 million in Ajumako. That’s fine. But the cocoa farmers in Ajumako have still not been paid.” The Okaikwei Central MP stressed that cocoa farmers are demanding payment of their arrears. “Mr. Speaker,

*Strengthen Internal Controls To Match Increased DACF, Abena Osei-Asare Urges Government* The Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Hon. Abena Osei-Asare, has called on government to strengthen internal controls alongside the increased allocation to District Assemblies. Contributing to debate on the Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Hon. Osei-Asare noted that while the Finance Minister announced an additional GH¢3 billion for District Assemblies, infractions recorded in the Auditor-General’s report have also escalated. “Mr. Speaker, yes they have given monies to the assemblies, but have you checked the Auditor-General’s report? The infractions have increased from GH¢18 million to GH¢134 million in 2025,” she said. “Mr. Speaker, so you don’t just give the monies, you also strengthen internal controls to ensure the monies are spent in the right places.” The Atiwa East MP also raised concerns over expenditure relating to

*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

Ato Forson Announces New Ghana Cocoa Board Bill to Reform COCOBOD and Boost Farmer Incomes The Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that the government will submit a new Ghana Cocoa Board Bill to Parliament to repeal and replace the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 (PNDC Law 81) as part of efforts to modernize the governance and financing of the cocoa sector. Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Ato Forson said the proposed legislation will introduce comprehensive reforms aimed at improving financial sustainability, increasing returns to cocoa farmers, and strengthening value addition within the industry. A key feature of the Bill is the introduction of a dynamic producer pricing mechanism, which will align cocoa producer prices with international market prices, exchange rate movements, and prevailing market conditions. The Finance Minister also announced that the proposed law will guarantee cocoa farmers not less than 70% of the gross Fr

*GOVERNMENT BUILDS GH¢15.6BN "WAR CHEST" TO REPAY GH¢30BN DDEP DEBT DUE IN 2027* Government has set aside *GH¢15.6 billion* in a sinking fund as part of efforts to meet domestic debt obligations falling due in 2027 and 2028, the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced. Presenting the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Dr. Forson said the amount was accumulated as of *July 22, 2025* under the *2026–2029 Medium Term Debt Management Strategy*. "Under the twenty twenty-six twenty twenty-nine medium term death management strategy we pledge that seven percent of non-ear tax revenue together with proceeds from domestic bond issuance will go into the second fund as a war chest for the twenty-seven and twenty twenty-eight maturities," he stated. The Finance Minister said government is on course to build the fund to *GH¢30 billion by the end of 2026*. "Mr speaker I'm proud to report to this house that after twenty-

*GHANA RAISES $2.7BN IN FIRST 7-YEAR CEDI BOND SINCE 2022 DEFAULT AS COUNTRY EXITS "ORIGINAL SIN"* Ghana has successfully returned to the domestic bond market, raising $2.7 billion through its first 7-year cedi-denominated bond since the 2022 debt default, marking a key step in restoring long-term financing in the local currency. Presenting the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, said the country has overcome what economists call the "original sin" the inability to borrow long term in its own currency. "Mr speaker, Ghana has now overcome what the economies describe as the original sin. Which is the inability of the country to borrow over the long term in its own currency,"he stated. Dr. Forson recalled that following the 2022 public debt default, government could not borrow long term and relied solely on treasury bills to finance the budget. "Mr speaker, following the twenty tw

*GHANA'S ECONOMY EXCEEDS $100 BILLION FOR FIRST TIME AS GDP GROWS 6% IN 2025* Ghana’s economy has crossed the *$100 billion mark for the first time in history*, with real GDP growth hitting *6.0 percent in 2025* the fastest pace of expansion since 2019. Presenting the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, said the results show that discipline, competent economic management and consistent implementation deliver tangible results. "Mr speaker, the results of the last eight months demonstrate that discipline policies, competent economic management and consistent implementation delivers tangible results," he stated. Dr. Forson said non-oil GDP grew by 7.6 percent in 2025, the highest rate in 14 years. "Instructively Mr Speaker non-oil GDP grew by seven points six percent in twenty-five. The highest rate in fourteen years. Demonstrating that Ghana's recovery extends well beyond favo