Mid-year budget should prioritise revenue growth after tax shortfalls — Prof. Quartey

" The Finance Minister is expected to present the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament today, outlining the performance of the economy during the first half of the fiscal year, providing updated fiscal projections and announcing measures to sustain macroeconomic stability while supporting growth and employment.

Former Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Peter Quartey, has urged the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to use the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to outline concrete measures to improve domestic revenue mobilisation following weaker-than-expected tax collections in the first quarter of the year.

Quartey said data published by the Ministry of Finance for the first quarter of 2026 pointed to prudent expenditure management but also exposed significant weaknesses in revenue performance.