Jobs, agriculture and the cost of living have emerged as the main concerns in public responses to Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson’s call for suggestions on Ghana’s 2027 Budget.
Dr Forson, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, asked Ghanaians what they expected from next year’s budget and which issues they wanted government to prioritise.
The responses ranged from calls for more jobs and public-sector recruitment to demands for cheaper electricity, better roads, improved public transport and greater support for businesses and farmers.
Jobs dominated the discussion.
Several people called for government to create more employment opportunities for young people, while others specifically asked for recruitment of teachers, nurses and other professionals who have completed their training but remain unemployed.
Teacher recruitment and outstanding backlogs featured repeatedly, alongside calls for better allowances, salary adjustments and improved working conditions.
Some respondents, however, argued that the answer to unemployment cannot depend mainly on government recruitment.
They called for stronger support for private businesses, youth-owned enterprises, manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship so that companies can create more jobs.
Agriculture was another major theme.
Respondents called for greater investment in mechanisation, irrigation, Farmer Service Centres and agricultural extension services, as well as support for young people entering agribusiness.
Others urged government to focus more on agro-processing, storage and value addition, rather than concentrating only on primary production.
The aim, according to several of the suggestions, should be to increase food production, reduce imports and create jobs along the agricultural value chain.
The cost of living also featured prominently.
Some respondents asked for cheaper electricity, while others pointed to fuel prices and their impact on transportation and the prices of goods and services.
Public transport attracted particular attention, with calls for more government-supported buses and stronger inter-district and regional transport services.
One respondent argued that long hours spent waiting for transport and travelling to work reduce productivity and ultimately affect economic output.
Roads and railways were also raised, with suggestions ranging from improving roads in underserved communities to expanding railway connections between major economic centres.
Beyond these broad concerns, contributors also raised issues including school infrastructure, healthcare recruitment, housing affordability, sanitation, women’s economic empowerment and support for technology startups.
Some submissions proposed more ambitious interventions, including district-level factories, industrial parks, state farms, renewable energy and investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Taken together, the submissions show a strong focus on employment and household pressures, alongside demands for greater investment in agriculture, infrastructure and businesses that can generate economic opportunities.
