The Minority Caucus has dismissed the 2026 Budget as “growthless, jobless and minimalist,” arguing that the government’s promises on jobs, growth and economic transformation do not match the figures presented to Parliament on Thursday.
The Budget, themed “Resetting for Growth, Jobs and Economic Transformation,” was delivered by Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson, who announced plans for a “Big Push” in infrastructure, export expansion, and employment creation.
Dr. Ato highlighted a lot of reforms including the abolition of the covid-levy and projected decline in inflation next year.
However, responding at a media briefing, former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam said the numbers tell a different story.
He noted that capital expenditure for 2026—3.6% of GDP—is far too low to drive any meaningful transformation, adding that flagship programmes remain starved of resources.
Dr. Adam warned of deep fiscal vulnerabilities, stating: *“SOE liabilities beyond cocoa and energy are not fully quantified. Domestic debt rollover risks, given the short maturities of government securities, as well as climate and disaster risks, which are not integrated into the macro-fiscal framework, pose further fiscal risks.”*
He cautioned that without tackling these issues, *“fiscal stability could be short-lived,”* insisting that several government initiatives are becoming *“slogans rather than deliverable programmes.”*
Describing the 2026 fiscal plan as the “Galamsey Budget,” he said, “At best, we can therefore describe the 2026 budget as growthless, jobless and minimalist… The people of Ghana must speak up for the government to know that the honeymoon period is over.”
