During the presentation of the 2025 Budget to Parliament, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson provided a strong assurance to Ghanaians that the government is delivering on its promises.
Reflecting on the progress made, Dr. Forson highlighted several key achievements, underscoring the administration’s commitment to its pledges.
“We are making progress,” Dr. Forson declared, emphasizing the government’s fulfillment of major commitments. These include maintaining a lean administration with only 60 ministers, abolishing the controversial E-Levy, and eliminating the Betting Tax on winnings.
Additionally, the Finance Minister outlined significant changes in the education sector, including the removal of academic fees for first-year students in public tertiary institutions.
He also noted that persons with disabilities now enjoy free tertiary education, and a dedicated funding source has been secured for the free secondary education program. The government has also introduced the distribution of sanitary pads to schoolgirls and the implementation of free primary healthcare.
Dr. Forson further highlighted the administration’s focus on governance and infrastructure development, with the ongoing $10 billion Big Push Programme aimed at accelerating infrastructure projects.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to economic recovery, pointing to efforts aimed at debt management and the recovery of looted state funds through the “Operation Recover All Loot” initiative.
Despite these achievements, Dr. Forson acknowledged the challenges faced by Ghana’s cocoa sector, revealing that COCOBOD’s debt has reached 32 billion cedis, while cocoa production has declined by nearly 50% over the past three years.
Concluding his speech, Dr. Forson expressed confidence that the policies outlined in the 2025 Budget would be instrumental in resetting the economy, restoring hope, and ultimately building the Ghana that citizens aspire to.
