The Manso Nkwanta MP, Tweneboa Kodua Fokuo, has challenged the significance of Ghana’s recent economic growth numbers, saying any gains must be felt in household incomes and job creation.
Appearing on Channel One TV’s Big Issue on Saturday, July 25, Mr Fokuo said the government’s announcement of 6.4% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for Q1 2026 was impressive on paper, but the real benchmark should be its effect on everyday citizens.
His remarks come after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, where he touted the administration’s recovery efforts, citing GDP growth and gains in other major economic indicators.
He stated that celebrating macroeconomic figures alone was not enough without checking if they were leading to more jobs, higher earnings and improved wellbeing.
He singled out youth unemployment as a key test of whether expansion was truly helping people, noting that joblessness among young people remained high.
Mr Fokuo argued that if Ghana’s economy was outperforming regional peers, then industry should be growing fast enough to absorb more young graduates into work.
“The real test is whether this growth is reflecting in the lives of Ghanaians. That is what should determine whether we should praise ourselves for growing the economy,” he said.
The Manso Nkwanta legislator also faulted government’s performance on revenue collection, saying that in spite of progress in some sectors, the state missed its revenue targets. The review showed Ghana’s real GDP rose 6.4% in the first quarter of 2026, beating the 4.8% annual growth target. Non-oil GDP climbed 6.3%, led by services at 7.1%, industry at 6.9%, and agriculture at 4.0%. The GDP deflator also dropped sharply from 23.9% to 4.1%, suggesting the expansion was driven by higher production rather than inflation.
