2026 Budget: Gov’t to Create 800,000 Jobs – Ato Forson

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that the 2026 Budget is strategically designed to create up to 800,000 jobs across multiple sectors of the economy.

Presenting the Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 13, Dr. Forson said the government’s flagship infrastructure and industrial programmes will serve as the backbone of the employment drive.

According to him, the GH¢63 billion worth of road contracts awarded so far under the Big Push initiative is projected to create 490,000 jobs, citing World Bank metrics that link large-scale road investments to significant employment opportunities.

Beyond infrastructure, Dr. Forson highlighted major job creation prospects under the government’s industrialisation agenda. He disclosed that:

Three new garment factories will provide more than 20,000 direct jobs;

Seven new agro-processing plants will employ about 700 people directly and thousands indirectly through supply chains;

The National Policy on Integrated Oil Palm Development (2026–2032) will deliver 250,000 jobs across the oil palm value chain;

The rollout of Farmer Service Centres nationwide will create thousands of jobs in logistics, machinery operation, repairs, and support services.

“These investments are not isolated; they are part of an integrated national effort to turn stability into jobs and growth,” he stressed.

Support for Private Sector Growth

To strengthen the private sector — which Dr. Forson described as the “engine of job creation” — the government has recapitalised the National Investment Bank (NIB). He added that Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) will each receive GH¢1 billion in recapitalisation before the end of 2025.

He further announced that GH¢401 million has been allocated to the Women’s Development Bank to provide affordable financing for women entrepreneurs, small business owners, traders, and market operators.

The Finance Minister said the facility will support hardworking women such as Lamisi Adam, Priscilla Yovu, and Caroline Sfeir, whom he met during engagements at the Takoradi Market Circle and Kotokoraba Market.