Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has urged Ghanaian industrialists to invest with confidence as the government prepares the 2027 Budget, saying the country must sustain recent economic gains and move from stability to transformation. The message followed a meeting with the Association of Ghana Industries and leading captains of industry.
Dr Forson said the meeting was part of the government’s effort to hear directly from businesses before the Budget is finalised. In a message after the engagement, he said: “We will sustain the gains and move Ghana from stability to transformation.”
He added: “Ghana’s golden era is beginning!” The comments placed investor confidence, industrial expansion and job creation at the centre of the government’s emerging 2027 economic agenda. AGI President Dr Kofi Nsiah-Poku also commended the progress made in stabilising the economy and called for the next phase to focus on growth and employment.
“We are grateful for what you have achieved so far. We now know that we have achieved stability, and it is time for us to grow so that we can create jobs,” he said. His remarks reinforced the meeting’s focus on moving from macroeconomic repair towards stronger production, exports and business expansion.
Industry Asked to Invest With Confidence
Dr Forson told the industrialists that government wanted the private sector to respond to the improved economic environment with new investment. He said the purpose of the engagement was to identify what businesses need to expand production, reach more export markets and create additional jobs across the economy.
“We are preparing a new direction for the country. I called this meeting to engage you on what will help you expand, export more, and create more jobs,” the Finance Minister told the industry leaders. The consultation therefore placed business conditions and industrial competitiveness directly within the 2027 Budget preparation process.
That direction is being developed through the government’s New Economy programme, which the Ministry of Finance says is intended to move Ghana beyond stabilisation towards job creation, wealth generation and sustainable growth.
The Ministry has said the full programme will be presented in the 2027 Budget, giving industry a direct stake in how the next policy phase is designed. The consultation with AGI therefore gives manufacturers an early opportunity to shape the business priorities that will sit alongside government’s wider transformation programme, particularly around production, investment, exports and employment.
AGI Turns Attention to Growth and Jobs
Dr Nsiah-Poku said the progress achieved so far provides a foundation for the country’s next stage of economic development. For AGI, that next stage should be visible in expanding factories, stronger exports and employment growth rather than stability remaining only a macroeconomic achievement.
The association has also continued to raise operating issues affecting industrial competitiveness. Earlier this month, AGI warned that industrial power costs and electricity reliability could undermine manufacturers’ ability to expand production and compete under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The latest meeting gives manufacturers an opportunity to place production costs, access to finance, energy reliability, export support and investment incentives before the Finance Ministry.
2027 Budget to Carry New Growth Programme
Government has said the 2027 Budget will provide the detailed framework for the New Economy programme, with private investment expected to play an important role in expanding production and employment.
President John Dramani Mahama has separately said government intends to make about US$2 billion available each year to nine sectors with strong job-creation potential, with the programme expected to be driven mainly by the private sector.
The financing structure of that US$2 billion annual jobs plan is expected to become clearer when the Finance Minister presents the 2027 Budget in November. For industrialists, the central question is how the Budget will turn those ambitions into an operating environment that encourages firms to expand capacity, invest in technology and compete in export markets.
‘Golden Era’ Message Targets Investor Confidence
Dr Forson’s description of a coming “golden era” was also a direct message to investors that government expects the next phase of the economy to be driven by expansion rather than crisis management. His call to invest with confidence was framed around maintaining stability while creating the conditions for private-sector growth.
For AGI, the immediate priority is to convert that stability into measurable business growth. Dr Nsiah-Poku’s message was that the country should now use the stronger foundation to expand industry, increase exports and create jobs.
With the 2027 Budget approaching, the meeting places industry at the centre of the government’s transformation agenda. Dr Forson’s message to manufacturers was straightforward: invest with confidence, prepare to expand and work with government on the conditions needed to move Ghana from stability towards what he describes as a new era of economic growth.
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