Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has insisted that Ghana’s 2026 Budget is “firmly on track”, telling Parliament that the government’s economic targets for the year are grounded in realistic assumptions and prudent policy choices rather than optimism.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, 24 July, Dr Forson said fiscal and macroeconomic goals set at the start of the year remain within reach, based on the state’s performance in the first six months.
He argued that results so far show the administration is on course to deliver on its economic plans, stressing that the targets were not drawn up as aspirational benchmarks but as achievable outcomes anchored in policy discipline.
“Mr Speaker, the 2026 Budget is firmly on track. The targets we set at the beginning of the year were not aspirational; they were grounded in sound policies, disciplined implementation and realistic assumptions,” Dr Forson told MPs.
Sustaining growth and stability
Dr Forson attributed the progress to what he described as disciplined implementation of government programmes and careful economic planning.
He said the administration would continue with measures designed to sustain economic growth, uphold fiscal discipline and reinforce macroeconomic stability over the remainder of the year.
According to the Finance Minister, the policy path chosen by the government is intended not only to meet numerical targets, but also to support a broader transformation of the economy.
He maintained that the same policy mix and implementation approach that underpinned the first-half performance would guide the government’s actions in the months ahead.
Focus on living standards and investor confidence
Dr Forson told Parliament that the government is determined to ensure that the gains recorded so far translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
He said the aim is for the progress made under the 2026 Budget to be reflected in better living standards, with households feeling the impact of macroeconomic stability through their day-to-day experiences.
The minister also highlighted investor sentiment as a key priority, saying the government wants the current trajectory to reinforce confidence among both domestic and foreign investors.
He argued that consistent policy implementation, combined with adherence to fiscal discipline, would support that objective and help to underpin longer-term investment decisions.
Economic transformation agenda
Beyond short-term targets, Dr Forson framed the 2026 Budget as part of a wider effort to achieve sustained economic transformation.
He said the government’s commitment is to “stay the course” and continue with the strategies already in place, adding that these are intended to secure durable changes in the structure and resilience of the economy.
Dr Forson reiterated that the administration’s approach is to link macroeconomic management with broader development goals, so that improved indicators are matched by lasting changes in the real economy.
Concluding his presentation, the Finance Minister again stressed that, in his view, the performance in the first half of the year confirms that the 2026 Budget remains on track and that the government’s fiscal and macroeconomic objectives are still attainable under the current policy framework.
