By Francis Ntow, GNA
Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – Economists have urged the government to mobilise resources and ensure effective implementation of flagship programmes to achieve the targets of the 2027 Budget.
They said translating recent macroeconomic stability into higher production, jobs, rising incomes and broad-based growth would require fiscal discipline and sustained policy execution.
Prof. Peter Quartey, Provost of the College of Education, University of Ghana, and Dr Daniel Amateye Anim-Prempeh, Chief Economist at Policy Initiatives for Economic Development (PIED) Africa, made the observations in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency following the presentation of the 2027 Budget.
The economists described the budget as ambitious and said its targets of 5.2 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and inflation of eight per cent, plus or minus two percentage points, were attainable with disciplined implementation.
Dr Anim-Prempeh, who is also a private legal practitioner, described the budget as “very ambitious”, citing the Big Push infrastructure agenda and the New Economy programme as central to the government’s growth strategy.
He said while the country had achieved a measure of macroeconomic stability, the next challenge was to stimulate growth in agriculture and industry capable of creating jobs and improving living standards.
Dr Anim-Prempeh said growth must translate into tangible benefits for citizens and not remain confined to macroeconomic indicators.
“There’s a tough task ahead. If the government wants to really give to the Big Push agenda and create a new economy, the task ahead is not a joke. It will require hard work and the government’s ability to raise the resources to drive the growth,” he said.
Dr Anim-Prempeh urged the government to prioritise local content in implementing the 24-Hour Economy, New Economy and Big Push programmes by procuring locally available materials and utilising local expertise where available.
Prof. Quartey stressed the importance of implementation, noting that many policies and programmes had failed to achieve their intended outcomes because of weak delivery.
“Ghana is full of good policies and programmes… but when it comes to actual delivery implementation, we often don’t achieve much.
“This time round we should all work to achieve these policies. It shouldn’t be just mere policies or slogans, but we should work to achieve them,” he said.
Prof. Quartey called for a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and ensure accountability.
He advised the government to maintain a private sector-led approach by creating an enabling environment for investment, providing infrastructure and ensuring policy certainty.
Prof. Quartey also recommended mobilising financing at competitive rates, prioritising growth-enhancing sectors and ensuring value for money in public spending.
Dr Theophilus Acheampong, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, in a media discussion monitored by GNA on Saturday, said the government would pursue private-sector partnerships to implement key programmes under the budget.
He said one of the country’s recurring challenges had been sustaining economic gains through consistent implementation, coordination and financing.
“In the past, when we grow the economy at a point, we mismanage things, we come back and we have to restart. So, it’s the consistency of the delivery, coordination and the money,” he said.
“This time round, we’re saying that we have the money and the resources to do it and sustain this over the medium-term.”
Dr Acheampong said funding for the programmes would come from adjustments to the primary surplus and tax reforms.
He explained that the government would reduce the primary surplus target from 1.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP through reforms to the Public Financial Management Act and use the fiscal space created to support public investment.
Dr Acheampong said tax reforms were expected to generate an additional 0.5 per cent of GDP in revenue.
He said about GH¢30 billion would be committed to the New Economy programme, adding that “every project will be subjected to strict assessment, and pass bankability test.”
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
15 Nov. 2026
Reporter: Francis Ntow
Email: [email protected]