By Philip Tengzu/Freda Mwini, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), Nov. 11, GNA – The government has been urged to make the 2027 budget more gender-responsive, with clear and measurable commitments to ensure that resources allocated for women translate into tangible improvements in their economic and social well-being.
“The budget must move beyond announcing policies and programmes for women to ensuring their effective implementation, with clear timelines, funding details and evidence of their impact on women”.
Reverend Monica Achana, a Reverend Minister of the Methodist Church in Wa, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) ahead of the 2027 budget and economic policy presentation by the Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
She urged the government to ensure that every ministry clearly identified the proportion of its budget allocated to women and demonstrated the impact of such expenditure
She cited the announcement of the Women’s Development Bank and other interventions in the 2026 budget, which had not been implemented and expressed hope that the 2027 budget would address the outstandings.
She emphasized the need for the 2027 budget to clearly indicate timelines for the operationalization of the proposed Bank, saying, “we want to see dates and times of opening the bank”.
She also urged the government to ensure that women were integrated into the proposed economic resetting agenda to enable them to experience the impact of any economic transformation.
She said ultimately, the budget should answer the following: “can I, as a Ghanaian woman, get capital to start something? When I get to the capital, will my market sell? can I be sure that my healthcare is taken care of, and can I be proud that my child has a place to learn formally?”
On his part, Mr Mulumba Ngmenlabagna Songsore, a youth development advocate, called on the government to ensure that the 2027 Budget created sustainable opportunities for young people.
He said despite the reported positive macroeconomic stability, it was important for the 2027 budget to translate the economic gains into tangible benefits for young people and underserved communities.
Mr Songsore indicated that the 2027 budget should go beyond employment promises and make deliberate investment in entrepreneurship, technical skills, innovation and financing opportunities to enable young people to create sustainable businesses and jobs.
He also called for greater budgetary attention to the cultural and tourism sectors, as Ghana’s cultural heritage, traditional crafts, textiles, festivals, music and tourism had significant potentials to create jobs and attract investment.
Mr Songsore further urged the revival of industries that once thrived in the northern Ghana, including the cotton industry, to create sustainable employment opportunities, particularly, for young people.
GNA
Edited by Bertha Badu-Agyei/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporters: Philip Tengzu/Freda Mwini, GNA
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