The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has welcomed the government’s decision to abolish several taxes, but it raised concerns about the lack of transparency around the GH¢30 billion Big Push Infrastructure Programme and Ghana’s planned transition to a new IMF Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI).

In its assessment of the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review issued on August 4, 2026, ISODEC commended the government for abolishing the E-Levy, the Betting Tax, the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and the Emissions Levy. The organization said the tax reliefs are important measures it has advocated for over the years.

ISODEC also acknowledged reported improvements in Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators, citing real GDP growth of 6.4% in the first quarter of 2026 and a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio to about 45%.

It said the government’s claim that removing the E-Levy did not weaken revenue, but instead strengthened it, supported ISODEC’s long-standing position that broad-based and regressive levies can harm economic activity without delivering intended fiscal benefits.

Despite these acknowledgments, ISODEC said key concerns about fiscal transparency and economic sovereignty remain unresolved. It argued that the GH¢30 billion Big Push Infrastructure Programme is not sufficiently transparent, noting that by the halfway point of the year only GH¢6.5 billion, representing about 22% of the annual allocation, had been disbursed.

ISODEC said the government has not provided adequate project-level information, including where the projects will be located, details of contracts awarded, and the implementation plans. It warned that insufficient information could create risks of misallocation and leakages, especially if the programme expands while implementation remains slow.

ISODEC also criticized the planned transition from the IMF Extended Credit Facility to a Policy Coordination Instrument. The organization said there has been no parliamentary review of the proposed arrangement and argued that the PCI could limit Ghana’s policy choices despite being described as a non-financing programme.

ISODEC is therefore calling for an independent parliamentary review of the PCI’s potential impact on Ghana’s fiscal autonomy before the agreement is finalized.

The organization further said the government has not adopted some of its proposed alternatives, including a Functional Finance framework and a National Job Guarantee Programme. It also criticized what it described as continued reliance on IMF and Eurobond-linked financing, urging Ghana to explore alternative mechanisms such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the African Export-Import Bank.

ISODEC called on the government to immediately publish a detailed list of all Big Push projects, including contracts awarded and clear implementation timelines. It also urged Parliament to hold a public hearing on the terms of the proposed IMF Policy Coordination Instrument before it is ratified.

While it commended improvements in Customs and VAT enforcement, ISODEC said more is needed, particularly with a specific and costed programme to address illicit financial flows, especially in the extractive sector. In its conclusion, ISODEC said Ghana does not need another IMF programme to manage its affairs, arguing instead that the country needs the political will to build domestic fiscal capacity and use its own resources to benefit its people.