Dr Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, Member of Parliament for Walewale and former Economic Advisor to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has raised concerns about the feasibility of the government’s revenue target for 2026.
Speaking on the 2026 budget on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, November 17, Dr Abdul-Kabiru said the Finance Minister’s plan to raise total revenue and grants to GH¢268 billion, representing 16.8 per cent of GDP, may be overly ambitious.
“One of the targets that I think the finance minister will labour to achieve is the revenue target. The finance minister expects to raise more revenue than he did this year and is telling us that he plans to rake in a substantial amount, amounting to GHS268 billion, which constitutes 16.8% of GDP, compared to the 11% of GDP he ended the year with. Basically, a six per cent jump cannot be realistic for me,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the government has indicated that the increase in revenue is expected to be primarily driven by improved non-oil tax collections and efforts to expand the tax base through compliance and digitalisation.
The 2026 fiscal year is projected to have a total expenditure of GH¢302.5 billion, equivalent to 18.9 per cent of GDP, while total revenue and grants are expected to reach GH¢268.1 billion.
“The overall fiscal balance on a commitment basis is projected at a deficit of GH¢34.4 billion, equivalent to 2.2 per cent of GDP. The corresponding primary balance records a surplus of GH¢23.3 billion, representing 1.5 per cent of GDP, in line with our medium-term fiscal target,” the finance minister stated.
