Ghana introduces 22 laws to protect economic reforms – Ato Forson

Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has disclosed that the government has introduced approximately 22 laws over the past 18 months as part of efforts to protect the country’s economic gains and ensure that ongoing reforms remain sustainable.

According to the minister, the legislative measures are intended to give the government’s economic policies a stronger legal foundation and make it more difficult for future administrations to reverse key reforms.

Dr Forson made the disclosure during a New Economy engagement at the University of Ghana on Friday, October 30, 2026.

He was responding to a question from Professor Fred Dzanku, Head of the Economics Division at the university’s Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), who sought to know how the government could ensure that its policies and development agenda would continue beyond its period in office.

The Finance Minister explained that the government’s approach involved introducing new legislation, repealing existing laws and amending current ones to protect important policy decisions.

He indicated that some of the proposed amendments would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament before they could be changed, thereby creating additional safeguards against policy reversals.

Dr Forson said the intention was to ensure that Ghana did not lose the economic progress achieved through the ongoing reforms or return to the difficulties experienced during the 2022–2024 economic crisis.

“We are trying to put these reforms into law,” he explained, adding that the government was working to make the progress sustainable.

Public Financial Management Act among key reforms

Dr Forson identified the ongoing amendments to the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act as one of the important measures being pursued to institutionalise the government’s reforms.

The legislation provides a framework for managing public finances, including government expenditure and fiscal responsibilities.

He argued that policies without legal backing could easily be changed by successive governments, making it necessary to establish stronger legislative protections.

The minister also pointed to his experience in Parliament and policymaking as an important factor influencing his approach to sustaining economic reforms.

He maintained that institutionalising policies through legislation would help ensure that critical economic decisions were not abandoned whenever political leadership changed.

The disclosure highlights the government’s efforts to move beyond short-term economic interventions and establish a framework that could preserve policy continuity across successive administrations.

However, the long-term effectiveness of the measures will depend on their implementation, institutional enforcement and the ability of future governments to maintain the reforms.