The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has identified the forest sector as a potential key driver of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking at the National Policy Dialogue on Contributions and Sectoral Linkages of the Forest Sector to the Economy of Ghana in Accra, Dr. Owusu Kagya, Director of Business, Industry, and Trade Statistics at GSS, emphasized the importance of addressing the challenges in the sector to fully unlock its potential.
“We think that when the challenges are addressed, hopefully, the sector could be one of the main drivers of GDP,” Dr. Kagya remarked.
Dr. Kagya highlighted the forest sector’s economic contributions, revealing that it has supported households’ livelihoods and shown strong linkages with agriculture, particularly the crop-growing sector.
However, he also pointed out the sector’s challenges, including a lack of comprehensive data on forestry-related activities, which has hindered the accurate estimation of its full contribution to Ghana’s economy.
“The results shed light on issues and opportunities for policy consideration,” he stated, stressing the need for targeted interventions to maximize the sector’s impact on national development.
The dialogue, held at the Alisa Hotel, brought together key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and development partners.
