{
  "id": 4621115,
  "title": "Consumer spending records mixed performance in 5-months of 2026, but manufacturing activities improved – BoG",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/consumer-spending-records-mixed-performance-in-5-months-of-2026-but",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T09:56:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/consumer-spending-records-mixed-performance-in-5-months-of-2026-but-manufacturing-activities-improved-bog/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the first five months of 2026, consumer spending in Ghana displayed a mixed performance, according to the July 2026 Monetary Policy Report (MPR) of the Bank of Ghana. While domestic VAT collections surged by 16.8% year-on-year, reaching GH¢9.713 billion, retail sales dipped by 3.1% to GH¢269.09 million. On a monthly basis, retail sales remained relatively stable compared to the previous month. However, the manufacturing sub-sector demonstrated improvement, with direct taxes collected growing by 18.6% to GH¢6.528 billion and private sector workers' contributions to the SSNIT Pension Scheme surging by 6.7% to GH¢556.20 million. In contrast, the construction sector faced a decline, with cement sales falling by 19.1% year-on-year to 206,242.11 tonnes and a further 9.1% month-on-month to 226,936.20 tonnes. Cumulatively, cement sales for the first five months of 2026 dropped by 12.7% to 1,069,461.49 tonnes.",
  "summary": "According to the report, domestic VAT collections increased by 2.8% on a year-on-year basis to GH¢1.822 billion from GH¢1.772 billion.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Joy Business",
        "title": "Consumer spending records mixed performance in 5-months of 2026, but manufacturing activities improved – BoG",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/consumer-spending-records-mixed-performance-in-5-months-of-2026-but-4625232",
        "published": "2026-08-31T09:56:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}