Finance and Trade Ministries collaborate on 'New Economy' programme

The Ministries of Finance and Trade, Agribusiness and Industry have commenced discussions on key interventions and policies to be incorporated into the government’s New Economy Programme, aimed at accelerating economic growth, creating jobs and transforming Ghana’s economy.

The Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, held a deep-dive engagement with the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, to solicit the Ministry’s inputs towards the development of the programme.

The engagement held in Accra forms part of consultations being led by the Ministry of Finance following the government’s progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and strengthening the foundations for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The New Economy Programme is expected to provide a framework for prioritising and supporting high-impact interventions with strong potential to accelerate job creation and facilitate the structural transformation of the economy.

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During the meeting, Dr Forson stressed the need for the two Ministries to work closely in reviewing existing policies and interventions to ensure that they deliver measurable benefits to the Ghanaian economy.

He noted that such reviews should involve an assessment of the impact of policies over the years, identifying gaps and examining how Ghana could adopt approaches that reflect changing economic realities.

He cited the Free Zones Act as one area requiring introspection, given its nearly three decades of implementation. He called for an assessment of the benefits derived from the programme, the challenges encountered and the extent to which it had contributed to job creation, industrial development and investment.

According to him, incentives and programmes established to attract investment must ultimately translate into tangible economic benefits for the country.

Dr Forson further emphasised the need for effective systems to monitor the economic contributions of businesses benefiting from government incentives, particularly in relation to investment, job creation and the retention of economic value in Ghana.

The Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing the necessary sector-specific inputs to enrich the development of the New Economy Programme while commending the Finance Ministry for this bold initiative in ensuring that the government's goal for shared prosperity and Job creation for all by 2030 is attained.

The engagement underscores government’s broader efforts to move beyond macroeconomic stabilisation towards an economy anchored on productive investment, industrialisation, job creation and sustainable economic growth.

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