By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has inaugurated three Technical Committees to develop actionable policy frameworks aimed at boosting financing and productivity in Ghana’s agriculture sector.
The first to be inaugurated was the Technical Committee on Agriculture Financing, tasked with developing a comprehensive policy framework within three weeks to support financing for strategic economic crops.
Members of the Committee are drawn from the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana, Ghana Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL), EXIM Bank, and the Development Bank of Ghana.
Notable members include: David Collison, Samuel Arkhurst, Cynthia Arthur, Frederick Amissah, and Edna Baffoe-Bonnie from the Ministry of Finance, Emelia Awuviri and Desmond Agbogah from the Bank of Ghana, Samuel Yeboah from GIRSAL, Kojo Aboagye-Yeboah from EXIM Bank, Prof. Eric Osei-Assibey from the Development Bank of Ghana.
In a related development, Dr. Forson also inaugurated two crop-specific committees:
The Technical Committee on the Oil Palm Project, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Tree Crops Development Authority, Forestry Commission, and the Environmental Protection Authority.
The Technical Committee on the Cocoa Project, with membership drawn from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ghana Cocoa Board, Tree Crops Development Authority, Forestry Commission, and the Environmental Protection Authority.
Dr. Forson emphasized that the committees are expected to provide clear strategies to improve agricultural financing, enhance productivity, and ensure sustainability across the value chain.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of our economy, and it is imperative that we create sustainable financing mechanisms to support farmers and agribusinesses. These committees will deliver practical frameworks that will transform our approach to strategic crops and drive economic growth,” the Minister stated.
The initiative is in line with government’s broader agenda to modernize agriculture, boost exports, and create sustainable jobs, particularly in the tree crop and cocoa sub-sectors.
