The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that GH¢6.5 billion has been paid into Ghana’s Big Push Infrastructure Programme this year, reaffirming the government’s commitment to accelerating infrastructure development across the country.

In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, Dr. Forson stated that the funds have already been committed to the flagship initiative, which is aimed at transforming Ghana’s infrastructure landscape through major investments in roads and other critical public projects.

Accompanying the announcement with a graphic showing a road construction roller, the Finance Minister wrote:

“GH¢6.5bn paid into the Big Push this year. We are building the Ghana we want.”

The announcement underscores the government’s continued investment in the Big Push Infrastructure Programme, one of its flagship initiatives designed to improve road networks, boost economic activity, create jobs, and enhance connectivity across the country.

The update comes as the government continues to prioritize infrastructure spending as part of its broader economic transformation agenda, with expectations that the programme will support national development and improve access to essential services.

The Minister for Food and Agriculture has challenged a new crop of Ghanaian graduates trained in agribusiness in Russia to stay home and spearhead the country’s agricultural transformation, insisting that their expertise is critical to achieving food security and reducing Ghana’s dependence on food imports.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the graduates, the Minister noted that the 118 students completed their studies at RUDN University in Russia under a scholarship programme funded by the Jospong Group in partnership with the African Agribusiness Consortium (AAC).

He said Ghana urgently needs highly skilled, innovative and committed young professionals who can apply modern agricultural science, technology and management practices to boost productivity across the sector.
“I have no doubt that the knowledge you’ve acquired abroad will contribute significantly towards achieving our national objectives,” the Minister told the graduates.

He stressed that agriculture remains at the heart of government’s transformation agenda through the Feed Ghana Agenda, which seeks to improve food security, create sustainable employment, promote agribusiness development and reduce the country’s reliance on imported food.

According to the Minister, unlocking Ghana’s agricultural potential requires the right mix of skilled human resources, investment, innovation and strategic partnerships.

As part of government’s support, he pledged the Ministry’s readiness to facilitate access to irrigation support, land development initiatives and strategic partnerships to help the graduates establish successful agribusiness ventures.
The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry has reached an agreement with the African Agribusiness Consortium (AAC), under which 750 acres of irrigated land at Konadu have been allocated to support agricultural production.
Under the partnership, AAC will provide logistics, establish a vegetable production hub and pay irrigation water fees to ensure the sustainable use of the irrigation infrastructure.

He described the collaboration as a major step toward accelerating sustainable agricultural growth, adding that both parties will work together across the entire agricultural value chain, including cultivation, processing, storage, value addition, marketing and commercialization.
The Minister expressed confidence that the partnership would help build a new generation of agribusiness entrepreneurs capable of driving Ghana’s agricultural and economic transformation

Joseph Agyapong Siaw, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JOSPONG Group, has challenged young graduates to embrace agribusiness and entrepreneurship, insisting that investing in people remains the surest path to national development.

Addressing graduates, Mr. Siaw recounted the remarkable growth of Jospong Group, revealing that what began in Ghana with manual tricycles in the year 2006 has expanded into operations across 29 countries.

According to him, the company’s success has been driven by a deliberate investment in young men and women, many of whom were recruited directly from universities and equipped with the skills needed to drive transformation.

He disclosed that the company now boasts about 50 PhD holders and more than 1,500 master’s degree holders among its workforce all sponsored by the company, describing the achievement as evidence that empowering young people yields lasting results.

Mr. Siaw said the trained professionals have played a crucial role in developing business proposals, conducting feasibility studies, and supporting the company’s expansion across Africa.
“We understand that investing in people is the future of every country and every organisation,” he stressed.

He also revealed that, as part of the company’s expansion strategy into agriculture, several young men and women were sent to Russia to study agriculture before returning to Ghana to contribute to the country’s agricultural sector.
Calling for stronger collaboration with the government, Mr. Siaw said Jospong Group is ready to partner with authorities to develop Ghana’s agribusiness industry and create more opportunities for the youth.

He further encouraged the graduates to remain determined despite the challenges they may encounter, urging them to settle down, stay focused and apply the knowledge they have acquired.
“Use everything you’ve learnt in agriculture in Russia to good use, and it shall be well with you,” he advised.

By Maurice Otoo

Public officials demanded bribes in Ghana at an alarming rate during the second half of 2025, with nearly seven in every 10 citizens who encountered bribery situations saying they were asked to make unofficial payments, according to a new Governance Series report released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The findings, presented at a Governance Series event organised by Three Reports and the GSS on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, reveal that corruption pressures intensified even though Ghana recorded an overall improvement in governance indicators compared to 2024.

Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, who presented the report, said the proportion of citizens who reported that public officials demanded unofficial payments increased significantly from 51% in the first half of 2025 to 69% in the second half of the year.

According to him, the data suggests that the growing challenge is no longer driven primarily by citizens offering bribes voluntarily but by increasing demands from public officials.

“So the pressure sits at the counter. The problem now is less what citizens offer and more of what officials would ask,” Dr Iddrisu stated.

The report also found that the percentage of Ghanaians who actually paid bribes to access public services rose from 14.3% during the first half of 2025 to 18% in the second half, indicating that approximately one in every six citizens paid an unofficial payment to receive a public service.

Despite the rise in bribery experiences, Dr Iddrisu noted that Ghana’s overall governance performance continued to improve when assessed over the full year.

“The full year, which is 2025, got better compared to 2024. Both of these stories are true, and that’s the beauty of the six-monthly survey that we do, to be able to look at trends within waves and even compare between years,” he explained.

He said the Governance Series survey tracks the same nationally representative households across all 16 regions, allowing the Ghana Statistical Service to measure genuine changes in citizens’ experiences over time rather than variations caused by different survey samples.

The latest Governance Series findings are based on interviews conducted with household heads during the first quarter of 2026, covering their experiences between July and December 2025.

The Minority Caucus Accra-Kumasi Highway concerns have intensified following the fatal multi-vehicle accident at Birimso Bridge on the Accra–Kumasi Highway, with the caucus calling on the government to immediately prioritise the completion of ongoing road works to prevent further loss of lives.

In a press statement dated August 4, 2026, the Minority Caucus of Parliament said it had received with profound sorrow news of the devastating road accident at Birimso Bridge on the Accra–Kumasi Highway.

According to the statement, at least 15 people are feared dead following the multi-vehicle collision on the busy highway connecting Kumasi and Accra.

The caucus extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families while expressing sympathy to those who sustained injuries in the crash.

“On behalf of the Minority Caucus, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We also sympathise with those who sustained injuries and wish them a speedy and full recovery. We share in the grief of the affected families and stand in solidarity with all those who this heartbreaking tragedy has impacted,” the statement said.

The Minority Caucus described the tragedy as another painful reminder of the longstanding safety challenges on the Accra–Kumasi Highway, noting that far too many lives have been lost on the corridor over the years.

The caucus stressed that the nation cannot continue to accept recurring fatal crashes as inevitable and called on the government to urgently accelerate the completion of all ongoing sections of the highway, including the existing bypasses and other outstanding construction works.

According to the statement, while the government has committed US$1.7 billion toward the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway Project, with the funds reportedly set aside in an escrow account at the Bank of Ghana, the caucus believes immediate attention should instead be given to completing the existing highway.

It argued that approximately US$300 million would be sufficient to complete the current bypasses and ongoing works on the existing Accra–Kumasi Highway.

The Minority Caucus maintained that although the long-term vision of constructing a modern expressway is commendable, the immediate priority should be completing the current highway, which it believes will save lives in the short term.

“As fatal crashes continue to occur on this critical corridor, expediting these outstanding works should be treated as a matter of national urgency while preparations for the expressway continue,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by Hon. Kennedy Nyarko Osei, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and
Transport Committee.