On November 13, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2026 National Budget to Parliament, outlining sweeping tax reforms, bold industrial policies, expanded social protection, and a promise of 800,000 jobs, all anchored in what he described as a disciplined fiscal framework.
Budgets may be an annual ritual, but this one enters the chamber with the ambition of an economic reset.
Yet the question remains as old as budgeting itself: Will these plans move from paper to pavement?
For many entrepreneurs, Ghana’s greatest development challenge, much like that of many African countries, has never been policy formulation but policy execution.
The continent is littered with brilliant, well-crafted strategies that faltered at the implementation stage. Roads remain unbuilt, factories operate below capacity, and promising social programmes stall, not for lack of ideas, but for lack of follow-through.
The 2026 Budget offers a rare opportunity for the government to rewrite its economic narrative.
That responsibility now lies with ministers, agency heads, and implementers who must match the urgency demonstrated by President John Dramani Mahama and Dr. Forson.
Having observed national budgets over the years, this one stands out as unapologetically pro-business, pro-jobs, and pro-reform.
The 2026 Budget outlines major tax cuts, including a VAT reduction to 20%, higher SME thresholds, and the removal of the COVID-19 levy, to ease business pressures and restore confidence.
It prioritises industrialisation through the Feed the Industry programme and targeted agro-processing support, while projecting 800,000 jobs in 2026 backed by funding for apprenticeships, 24-hour economy initiatives, and infrastructure.
Fiscal discipline is to be enforced through laws requiring a 1.5% primary surplus, a long-term 45% debt-to-GDP cap, and mandatory e-procurement.
Supporters say the budget is backed by early gains under the Mahama administration, falling inflation, a stronger cedi, reduced debt, and renegotiated IPP savings.
However, execution remains the critical test.
The plan stresses speed, accountability, and inter-ministerial collaboration to avoid past implementation failures.
The government is urged to publish performance scorecards, cut bureaucratic delays, and ensure value for money so the budget becomes a real turning point rather than another unfulfilled blueprint.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
