Government will make medicines manufactured in Ghana the preferred option in public procurement as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing industry.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced the policy while presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12.
He said government would invest US$1 billion in the pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing sector to strengthen medicine security, create skilled jobs, conserve foreign exchange and establish an export platform for West Africa.
Ghana currently imports between 70 and 75 per cent of its medicine requirements, costing the country about US$500 million annually.
As part of the intervention, government plans to establish pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing hubs in the Eastern and Central Regions, with qualified Ghanaian and international manufacturers expected to operate through transparent leases and agreements.
Dr. Forson said government would amend the public procurement laws to ensure that public funds spent on medicines support local production.
“Mr. Speaker, we will amend the public procurement laws to require that public funds spent on medicines are used only to purchase medicines produced in Ghana, wherever those medicines are available in sufficient quantity and meet approved quality standards,” he told Parliament.
He explained that Ghana intended to go beyond the measures adopted by other African countries to promote locally manufactured medicines.
“Ghana will go further, by making Ghanaian-produced medicines the default choice for every cedi of public money spent on medicines,” he said.
The Finance Minister added that the policy was intended to use government procurement to support local businesses and promote made-in-Ghana products.
“Mr. Speaker, we are determined to use public procurement to back Ghanaian businesses, buy Ghanaian goods and promote Ghanaian exports,” Dr. Forson stated.
He, however, stressed that local preference would not compromise the quality of medicines supplied to public institutions, noting that every supplier must have Food and Drugs Authority registration and meet Good Manufacturing Practice standards.
Government will also support local manufacturers to attain World Health Organisation prequalification to enable Ghanaian medicines to compete across the region.
The budget further sets a target of manufacturing between 60 and 80 per cent of Ghana’s essential medicine needs locally by 2030.
The pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing investment is expected to create approximately 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the Finance Minister.
