Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, defended the government’s New Economy agenda on the Big Issue on Saturday, November 14, saying the programme’s eight pillars are supported by clear policy commitments and budgetary allocations.
Agbana said the agenda aligns with Ghana’s 40‑year development plan and the government’s medium‑to‑long‑term economic plans, adding that its objectives do not contradict existing national development policies.
He highlighted that the allocations made towards the eight pillars demonstrate the government’s commitment to implementing the programme, noting that the budget presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is more than a slogan.
Announced by Dr Forson, the New Economy agenda is a US$10 billion investment programme aimed at transforming Ghana’s economy over the next four years, focusing on expanding local production, processing raw materials, creating jobs and reducing dependence on imports.
Agbana underscored that the eight pillars were carefully considered and that the government has made allocations to support their implementation, adding that the programme is not about slogans but about getting the work done.
One pillar, receiving US$3 billion, seeks to transform agriculture into a commercially organised sector capable of meeting domestic food demand, reducing imports and supplying raw materials to local industries. Under this pillar, the government plans to develop eight major agricultural value chains: rice, sugar, poultry, maize and soya feed, aquaculture, oil palm, vegetables and cocoa processing.
As the programme rolls out, observers will watch how the allocated funds are deployed across the eight pillars and whether the promised economic transformation materialises in the coming years.
