Ghana’s 2026 Budget places industrialization at the heart of the country’s economic recovery and transformation, with the government rolling out initiatives to expand domestic manufacturing, promote import substitution, and boost export-oriented production.

Through the Rapid Industrialisation for Jobs Programme, the government aims to strengthen the country’s industrial base and create employment opportunities. A major component of the programme is the Industrial Finance and Export Guarantee Facility, managed by the Development Bank Ghana (DBG), which will provide long-term, affordable financing to industrial enterprises.

The programme also complements ongoing efforts to complete industrial parks and special economic zones in Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi, equipped with reliable energy, transport, and water infrastructure to attract private investment.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, November 13, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson highlighted the Feed-the-Industry Policy, designed to link agriculture and manufacturing by ensuring local producers supply reliable raw materials to domestic processing industries. The policy is particularly aimed at the food processing, textile, and pharmaceutical sectors.

In addition, the Ghana Standards Reform Programme will improve product certification, quality assurance, and compliance with international trade standards, enhancing Ghana’s competitiveness in global markets, including under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Dr. Forson noted that the industrial reforms are expected to support over 300,000 new jobs by 2028, reduce import dependency, and increase the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP, signalling a decisive shift toward a self-sustaining, production-driven economy.