Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced a new round of industrial measures aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, curbing raw material exports and expanding value-addition across key sectors.
At the centre of the plan is a renewed focus on textiles, garments, metals, rubber and agro-processing, with government backing for multiple factories and new restrictions on raw exports to feed local industry.
Dr. Forson in the 2026 budget presentation said the government had identified modern textiles and garment manufacturing as a strategic industry capable of generating large-scale jobs and export revenue. As part of this push, three new garment factories will be established through public-private partnerships in the Bono East, Central and Eastern Regions. Designed to operate in three shifts, the plants are expected to create about 27,000 direct jobs and support livelihoods in surrounding communities.
The budget also cited concerns about underutilised capacity in the metals sector. Ghana generates about 91,000 metric tons of non-ferrous scrap metals annually, against installed domestic processing capacity of 237,300 metric tons. Despite that gap, 43,430 metric tons were exported in raw form in 2024. To address this mismatch, government will restrict exports of non-ferrous scrap metals under the Feed the Industry Programme, with the aim of strengthening the value chain for local component manufacturing in automotive, machinery, tools and electronics.
A similar policy will apply to raw rubber. The minister noted that Ghana’s rubber processing capacity, approximately 178,420 tons per year, far exceeds the country’s annual production of about 100,000 tons. Export restrictions will be introduced to secure raw materials for domestic processors and to support the development of local rubber value chains.
On agro-processing, seven factories located in the Northern, Central, Ahafo, Bono, North East, Bono East and Western North Regions will be fully operationalised as part of efforts to cut post-harvest losses and support industrial expansion. These plants will process yam, fish, poultry, cashew, rice, shea butter and palm kernel oil, and are expected to create around 700 direct jobs while offering guaranteed offtake to out-growers.
The government is further expanding cashew processing under the President’s Accelerated Export Development Initiative. Two new plants financed by the Ghana Exim Bank will be built at Sampa in the Jaman North Municipality of the Bono Region and at Aboabo, Techiman in the Bono East Region, reinforcing cashew’s position as one of the country’s fastest-growing non-traditional exports.
The budget measures form part of a broader industrialisation strategy aimed at reducing Ghana’s reliance on raw commodity exports and strengthening the foundations of a value-driven, export-oriented manufacturing economy.
