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January 19, 2017
Occasional Paper 8. The Ghanaian Economy in 2012 – How Accurate was the Reported Fiscal Deficit? This paper reviews the performance of the Ghanaian economy in 2012, with a view to establishing the accuracy and the causes of the reported huge fiscal deficit, amounting to 11.6% of GDP, posted during the period. The study finds that the strong performance of the economy achieved in 2011 continued in 2012, driven by the services and industry sectors, with the latter overtaking agriculture as the second largest contributor to the country’s GDP. Improved macroeconomic policies, supported by a tight monetary policy, also helped […]
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January 19, 2017
Occasional Paper 7. Revenue Earmarking in Ghana: Management and Performance Issues Although revenue earmarking was seldom used in Ghana before the Fourth Republic, it has now become a common fiscal practice. Specifically, while only two formal earmarking arrangements existed in the country before the Fourth Republic, there are currently 11 arrangements of revenue earmarking with one more in the pipeline. Because earmarking currently consumes a large chunk of the country’s fiscal resources, with about 35% of total revenue and grants earmarked in 2013, ensuring effective management of the various earmarked funds is an important component of the country’s quest for […]
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January 19, 2017
Policy Brief 2: Economic Policy Priorities for the New Government Not too long ago, the Ghanaian economy was one of Africa’s strongest. However, the economy has witnessed a sharp decline in growth in the last three years. In this Policy Brief, the IFS brings to the attention of the new Government some critical economic challenges along with proposals to address them. <p>IFS’ proposals are informed by the Institute’s conviction that Ghana needs new, bold and systematic policies capable of bringing about fundamental changes to the economy to enable it to deliver tangible socio-economic benefits to Ghanaians. </p> Click here to […]
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June 30, 2016
Occasional Paper 6. An Evaluation of the Second Review by the IMF Board of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility-Supported Program, 2015-17 This paper evaluates the IMF Board’s second review of Ghana’s ECF-supported program, which spans 2015-17. The review revised key macroeconomic targets that generally vindicate the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ (IFS) earlier view that many of the original targets set under the program were unrealistic, in terms of being overambitious, and needed to be revisited. While most of the revised targets seem more realistic, disappointingly, many—such as growth, inflation, the public debt and current account deficit—indicate that macroeconomic instability will remain […]
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December 18, 2015
Fiscal Alert 5: Fiscal Incentives to Eligible Renewable Energy Companies The global energy system based on hydrocarbons is undergoing a foundational shift. Global demand for electricity is expected to rise by more than 80 percent from 2010 to 2040, driven by increases in population and GDP. Approximately 20 percent of global electricity generation now comes from renewable energy sources. Renewables accounted for over half of total net additions to electricity generating capacity worldwide in 2012. Energy generation from renewables is expected to increase by almost three times its 2010 level in 2035, with the share in energy generation mix increasing to 31 percent (KPMG, 2013). Click here to read the […]
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December 14, 2015
Fiscal Alert 4 : Ghana: Implications of the Rising Interest Costs to Government One important feature of fiscal management in Ghana in the last few years has been the rapid rise in government borrowing, not just a rise in real debt but also a rise in debt/GDP ratio, pushing the country into a debt trap. With the country posting double-digit fiscal deficits in three consecutive years since 2012 and financed through increased indebtedness, the government is now confronted with a huge and increasing interest payment burden. This paper looks at the trends in interest costs to the government, causes, and what needs to be done to ensure efficient […]
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