Economist and University of Ghana Business School lecturer, Professor Godfred Bokpin, has urged the government to use the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to present a clear roadmap for sustaining the country’s recent economic gains beyond the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported programme.
His comments come as Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is expected to unveil the government’s much-anticipated New Economic Policy when he presents the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday, July 23.
Speaking ahead of the budget presentation, Prof. Bokpin said the country’s immediate priority should not merely be celebrating progress made under the IMF programme, but outlining concrete measures to preserve those gains over the long term.
“The more important thing is how we are going to sustain the limited gain that we have made under the IMF-supported programme, and what measures government will put in place, maybe perhaps beyond the Policy Coordination Instrument,” he said.
According to him, there remains little public information about the reforms expected under the Economic Coordination Instrument (ECI), making it difficult for analysts and the public to assess its potential impact on the economy.
“Till date, we actually don’t know the number of policy reforms that are in the ECI, and therefore we are unable to make an impactful assessment of what that would mean for us going forward,” he noted.
Prof. Bokpin stressed that the Mid-Year Budget should provide greater clarity on government’s post-IMF strategy, including the reforms that will underpin fiscal discipline, economic growth and macroeconomic stability.
The Finance Minister is expected to use Thursday’s presentation not only to review the performance of the economy during the first half of 2026 but also to introduce the government’s New Economic Policy, which is expected to shape Ghana’s economic direction after the current IMF programme.
The budget presentation is being closely watched by businesses, investors and development partners, who are looking for signals on the government’s fiscal strategy, debt management plans and measures to sustain the country’s economic recovery.
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