A report from Joy Business suggests that the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy will be presented to Parliament on November 13.

The proposed date, which is subject to parliamentary approval, will mark the government’s first major budget presentation since winning the 2024 elections and having nearly nine months to steer the economy.

The presentation of the year-ahead budget is per the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) of Ghana, which was passed by Parliament and assented to on August 25, 2016, and it governs how public funds are managed across all government entities.

The Act mandates that the Finance Minister, acting on behalf of the President, lay before Parliament, not later than the 15th of November of each financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditures of the government.According to some analysts, the 2025 Budget mostly followed the same plans, ideas, and policies that the erstwhile government set up.

In July this year, the Finance Minister, Ato Forson, mentioned that the Mahama-led administration will present its 2026 budget and economic statement to Parliament in October 2025, instead of November 2025.

With this, Parliament would have about an additional month to debate the 2026 budget before the House goes on recess in late December. He noted that the timeline for the presentation of the budget will aid thorough deliberation, allowing room for alterations before the budget comes into force at the beginning of 2026.

“We are aiming to present the 2026 budget to Parliament by the end of October 2025. Preparations are already underway. We want to avoid the delays and uncertainties of the past. This government is committed to proper planning and transparency,” he disclosed during an appearance on a special edition of PM EXPRESS with host Evans Mensah on July 24.

However, the Finance Ministry later announced in a statement in August that November 15 would be the new date for the budget presentation. In the same statement, it requested inputs from the general public to be considered in the 2026–2029 National Budget.

The inputs, the Ministry said, were to be submitted electronically to bdru@mofep.gov.gh by close of business on Friday, 29th August, 2025.

This call was in line with the government's responsiveness to the needs of the Ghanaian citizenry to deepen citizens' participation in the budget process, as well as implement inclusive policies.

Consequently, the Finance Ministry has reportedly completed several rounds of stakeholder engagements and industry consultations to finalise the policies and programs that will feature in the 2026 Budget.

In earlier interviews, Dr Forson has listed economic growth, development and job creation, particularly for Ghana’s ballooning youth and deepening unemployment crisis, as the main focus of the 2026 Budget.

Sources also suggest that the Finance Minister is set to introduce new policy measures aimed at reforming the tax system and improving revenue mobilisation.

According to the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong, the 2026 Budget will include a review of the Value Added Tax (VAT), with the effective rate expected to be reduced from 22% to 20%.

This adjustment is part of ongoing reforms to simplify the VAT structure and make it more business-friendly.Additionally, Dr Forson is expected to review several tax levies, including the COVID-19 levy, as part of efforts to ease the tax burden on businesses and households.

With Ghana set to exit the IMF programme in May 2026, attention will also be on how the Finance Minister plans to manage the economy in the post-programme period.

The 2026 Budget will, therefore, be one of the government’s most significant economic policy documents, setting the tone for fiscal management and growth strategy after the IMF programme.

Another key area of interest for industry players and economists will be how Dr Ato Forson intends to manage the fiscal deficit and expenditure in 2026 while maintaining macroeconomic stability.

During the mid-year budget review, the Finance Minister announced the abolition of certain levies, including the e-levy, betting tax, and emissions levy, and provided projections for the country's growth and other key indicators. He insisted that the government would stick to what was announced earlier this year. “We are not changing course. The growth target, the fiscal deficit, and the inflation target—all of it remains as announced in the 2025 Budget. We are sticking to it.” “The economy is responding well. We’ve seen 5.3% GDP growth in Q1, inflation is falling, and the cedi is stable. So there’s no need to revise the framework.”

His comments came a few weeks after the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) announced the sixth consecutive reduction in the inflation rate this year so far. According to GSS, as of June, the country recorded a 13.7 percent rate, a 4.7 percent decline from the 18.4 percent rate reported in May.

This is also the lowest rate recorded since February 2022 at the time. Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, following the release of data on July 2, noted that the reduction in the rate was due to the decline in prices of foodstuffs and other items.

Subsequently, Ghana has recorded a single-digit inflation with September 2025's falling to 9.4%, marking the country's first return to single-digit inflation since August 2021.