Dr Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, Member of Parliament for Walewale, has raised concerns over the sustainability of the government’s job-creation projections in the 2026 Budget, warning that the heavy reliance on construction-related employment may not deliver long-term economic security for Ghanaians.
In an interview on Citi TV’s Point of View on Monday, Dr Abdul-Kabiru said that although the Budget promises up to 800,000 jobs, nearly 490,000 are expected to come from construction works under the government’s flagship “Big Push” programme.
“The budget has given me indications that they’re going to create jobs, but about 490,000 of the 800,000 will come from construction workers, which does not give me a sense of sustainable and decent jobs that Ghanaians are looking for,” he said.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, in presenting the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on November 13, said the mass recruitment would be driven by major infrastructure and industrial programmes.
He noted that the GH¢63 billion worth of road contracts awarded under the Big Push initiative were expected to generate the estimated 490,000 jobs, based on World Bank job-creation benchmarks for road investments.
However, Dr Abdul-Kabiru maintains that while infrastructure expansion is important, construction jobs, often short-term and project-based, do not offer the stability, income continuity, or career progression that young job seekers require.
He argued that a sustainable employment strategy must prioritise long-term sectors such as manufacturing, agribusiness processing, ICT, green industries, and knowledge-driven services, which provide more resilient pathways for national development.
The Walewale MP urged the government to refine its job-creation model and ensure that opportunities generated under the 2026 Budget align with decent work principles and long-term economic transformation goals.
