{
  "id": 5545639,
  "title": "Government unveils five-pillar plan to build resilient economy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/government-unveils-five-pillar-plan-to-build-resilient-economy",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-04T11:37:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-unveils-five-pillar-plan-to-build-resilient-economy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ghanaian government has introduced a comprehensive five-pillar plan to fortify the nation's economy and ensure its resilience against future shocks. Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem made this announcement during the Business Roundtable Extended 2026 Executive Dialogue held in Accra. The five pillars are: stronger economic buffers, a productive economy, a private sector capable of investing, institutions less influenced by political cycles, and growth that can be perceived by Ghanaians.\n\nAmpem emphasized the importance of maintaining macroeconomic stability, which has seen a 6.0% real GDP growth in 2025, a 6.4% growth in the first quarter of 2026, declining inflation from 23.8% in December 2024 to 4.6% in July 2026, and a significant increase in gross international reserves to approximately US$12.9 billion. Despite these achievements, he cautioned against becoming complacent with high economic numbers, asserting that stability should translate into tangible benefits for factories, farms, markets, small businesses, and households through value addition, productivity, and job creation.\n\nThe first pillar aims to bolster economic buffers by increasing reserves, maintaining sustainable debt, establishing fiscal buffers, ensuring energy security, and securing food supplies. Ampem noted the inevitability of the next economic shock, urging the country to prepare for it. The target of achieving 15 months of import cover by the end of 2028 under the Ghana Accelerated National Reserves Accumulation Programme was highlighted. Additionally, the second pillar focuses on transforming the productive structure of the economy by reducing vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations, producing more of what is consumed, and adding value to what is produced. The New Economy Programme, scheduled to commence in 2027, will concentrate on productivity, diversification, value addition, and job creation in sectors such as agriculture, energy, critical minerals, textiles, tourism, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.\n\nThe third pillar seeks to create more favorable conditions for private-sector investment by improving financing conditions through declining Treasury bill yields and lending rates. However, Ampem stressed that cheaper credit must ultimately lead to productive credit, necessitating financing for production, innovation, exports, and long-term investments. The fourth pillar emphasizes the strengthening of institutions and the maintenance of fiscal discipline irrespective of changes in government. He highlighted the necessity of enforcing fiscal rules, commitment controls, procurement rules, and debt limits to prevent the economy from being dictated by short-term four-year political cycles.\n\nLastly, the fifth pillar underscores the importance of ensuring that economic growth translates into tangible benefits for citizens. This includes investing in infrastructure, enterprise development, skills, job creation, and export expansion. Ampem called for a new partnership between the government and the private sector, where the government provides stability, predictability, infrastructure, efficient regulation, and fiscal discipline, while businesses contribute through investment, innovation, productivity, exports, and job creation. He urged Ghana to seize the current period of economic stability to break free from the cycle of borrowing, spending, accumulating arrears, and losing stability, promising that what they do during this period will define the economic future of the country for the next decade.",
  "summary": "The Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem announced the strategy on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, when he delivered the keynote address on behalf of Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson at the Business Roundtable Extended 2026 Executive Dialogue in Accra.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ghana unveils five-pillar plan to build resilient economy",
    "First pillar focuses on boosting economic buffers and reserves"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Joy Business",
        "title": "Government unveils five-pillar plan to build resilient economy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/government-unveils-five-pillar-plan-to-build-resilient-economy-5551749",
        "published": "2026-09-04T11:37:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}