Bussiness
Finance Ministry To Revise GDP Projections For 2022
The Ministry of Finance has announced its decision to update its debt sustainability analysis (DSA) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projections for 2022 to reflect positive economic developments in 2021.
The revision which will also capture the medium-term projections about the economy is based on the official provisional 2021 fourth quarter and overall 2021 annual GDP data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) On April 20, 2022.
According to the GSS, real GDP expanded by 7.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the 4.3 percent growth recorded in the corresponding period of 2020.
Similarly, non-oil real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2021 was said to have expanded by 7.6 per cent compared to 5.7 per cent for the same period in 2020.
The GSS also indicated that on an annual basis, the provisional real GDP growth for 2021 showed a positive outturn of 5.4 percent, exceeding the 4.4 percent 2021 projected outturn by 1 percentage point and the SSA average growth by 0.9 percentage point.
“This is a clear confirmation that the economy is on the rebound post the COVID-19 pandemic that saw a revised growth rate of only 0.5 percent in 2020.
“The rate of debt accumulation is tapering off, and there is a slowdown in fiscal expansion with Ghana on track to return to the Fiscal Responsibility Act deficit threshold of 5 percent of GDP by 2024” the ministry of finance noted in statement released on Tuesday.
Data from the GSS also showed that non-oil real GDP expanded from 1.0 percent in 2020 to 6.9 percent in 2021, exceeding the target of 5.9 percent for the period.
The Nominal GDP for 2021 was estimated at GH¢459,130.9 million, over GH¢18 billion more than the projected outturn of GH¢440,869.4 million for the period, up from GH¢391,940.7 million recorded in 2020. The Non-oil nominal GDP for 2021 is GH¢437,975.2, up from GH¢378,147.9 million in 2020.
The ministry however indicated that the major implication of higher-than-projected GDP outturn for 2021 is that all economic indicators expressed as a ratio of GDP will change to reflect the updated GDP data.
“These ratios include the debt to GDP ratio, a key factor in determining debt sustainability, the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio, and Revenue to GDP ratio. The new GDP data also has implications for the nominal 2022 GDP target
and the growth rate as it is based on the 2021 GDP data which have now been updated” the statement indicated.
It said that the fiscal deficit including energy and the financial sector was showing a decline as a percent of GDP from 15.0 percent to 14.7 percent of GDP for 2020. Similarly, the fiscal deficit of 2021 has reduced from 11.7 percent to 11.4 percent.
“Ghana’s public debt stock expressed as percentage of GDP now stands at 76.6 percent of GDP at the end of 2021 compared to the earlier reported 80.1 percent. Similarly, the 2020 debt stock has also reduced from 76.1 percent to 74.4 percent, a further confirmation that the rate of debt accumulation has slowed to pre-pandemic levels” it added.
Source: GNA
Ghana’s gold and minerals sector is set for a major spotlight as Meetings. Co, in partnership with key industry stakeholders, announces the Mining & Minerals Convention 2025, scheduled from August 26-27, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Ghana’s Gold Industry,”‘ the Convention will convene government leaders, regulators, miners, refiners, investors, sustainability partners, innovators, and responsible mining, and global competitiveness,policy experts to explore strategies that position Ghana’s gold industry for long-term growth.
The two-day convention will feature presidential and ministerial keynote addresses, industry thought leadership, technical paper presentations, policy dialogues, fireside chats, exhibitions, and high-level networking sessions.
Convention delegates can anticipate a dynamic and insightful experience, marked by thought leadership from leading policymakers and regulators, in-depth discussions on key topics such as sustainability, ESG, digital gold, and responsible sourcing, as well as valuable opportunities to forge public-private partnerships and investment deals.
Moreover, the event will offer practical action points aimed at unlocking greater economic value for Ghana.
The 2025 edition will be supported by a strong coalition of strategic partners, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, GoldBod, the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF), and the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).
The Minister for Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that a sum of nine hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five thousand and Seventy-Three Ghana Cedis (GHS987,965,073.00) from the Consolidated Fund into the District Assembly Common Fund Account, being the first quarter amount due to the DACF.
Furthermore, the Finance Minister informed the House that a total amount of Two Billion, Thirty- Three Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,033,469,607) has been disbursed to the National Health Insurance Fund.
While the Ghana Education Trust Fund has also received a total of Two Billion, Seven and Ten Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,710,227,947.00) for the months January, February, March and April,2025.
The Finance Minister disclosed this in his statement to Parliament on the payments to statutory funds on the floor of the House.
In addition, he cautioned that the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund is required to ensure that 80% of this amount is transferred directly to the Assemblies without fail and expenditure returns submitted to the Ministry of Finance before subsequent releases will be made.
He added that Members are encouraged to monitor the utilization of these amounts sent to their respective Assemblies in line with the approved guidelines by Cabinet.
In his closing remark, Ato Forson said he’s going to take the concerns of the House seriously.
For his part, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga made known the President’s prioritization of women in the country stating that President Mahama is “Pro-women”.
This is due to the fact that women are going to be the core beneficiaries from the expenditures going to be made by the MMDA’s, he added.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the Finance Minister why road contractors have not been paid for more than five months. He said the Minister must not be applauded for since the allocation of these funds were long overdue.
