2026 MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW: Ato Forson Unveils Billions in Spending on Health, Education and Infrastructure
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has outlined billions of cedis in government expenditure on wages, healthcare, education, infrastructure, energy and social protection, as he presented the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Dr Forson said the spending reflected the government’s commitment to improving public services while supporting Ghana’s economic recovery.
He said the government had paid GH¢48.8 billion in compensation to public sector workers, including GH¢4 billion in SSNIT contributions and GH¢2 billion in Tier 2 pension payments.
The Finance Minister also disclosed that GH¢21.5 billion had been used to meet domestic interest obligations, while US$700 million was spent on servicing Eurobond debt. A further GH¢10 billion was paid to domestic bondholders as part of efforts to restore confidence in the financial sector.
In the health sector, GH¢4.5 billion was released to the National Health Insurance Scheme, while GH¢1.1 billion was allocated to the Mahama CARES programme to support specialised healthcare services.
Education also accounted for significant government expenditure. Dr Forson said GH¢4.2 billion had been transferred to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), with GH¢1.8 billion supporting the Free Secondary Education programme.
The government also released GH¢76 million in capitation grants for basic schools, GH¢47 million for BECE registration and GH¢537 million to implement the no-fee policy for tertiary students.
Teacher trainees received GH¢104 million in allowances, while nursing trainees were paid GH¢144 million. The Finance Minister further announced plans for more than US$240 million in allowances to be disbursed to teacher trainees.
On infrastructure, Dr Forson said GH¢1.7 billion had been invested in the Road Maintenance Trust Fund, while GH¢6.5 billion had been allocated to the Big Push infrastructure programme. An additional GH¢11.5 billion was spent on capital projects.
The energy sector received GH¢7.1 billion to support reliable electricity supply, with another GH¢5.3 billion used to settle legacy arrears.
Social intervention programmes also received substantial funding. The government released GH¢485 million to beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme and GH¢877 million to the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
The Youth Employment Agency received GH¢459 million, while GH¢45 million was allocated to the National Apprenticeship Programme to support youth employment and skills development.
In agriculture, GH¢1.1 billion was provided to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for initiatives including food buffer stock operations, fertiliser distribution, certified seeds and irrigation infrastructure. Another GH¢551 million was placed in an escrow account to support the establishment of Farmer Service Centres.
Dr Forson said GH¢16 million had also been released to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to intensify efforts to tackle illegal mining and protect the country’s water bodies, forests and farmlands.
The Finance Minister further disclosed that GH¢58 million had been allocated to support Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Turning to the broader economy, Dr Forson said Ghana had made significant progress in recovering from the economic challenges inherited by the current administration.
He pointed to a decline in inflation to 5.3%, a more stable cedi, economic growth of more than 6%, a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio to 45% and a significant decline in interest rates.
He also said Ghana had successfully completed the final review of its International Monetary Fund programme, describing the country’s economic turnaround as a journey “from the emergency room to the wellness centre.”
