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President John Dramani Mahama has staunchly defended the drastic scaling down of Ghana’s 2025 Independence Day celebrations, a move that saved the nation GH₵19 million in expenditures.
Addressing the nation on Thursday, March 6, 2025, during the 68th Independence Day celebrations, President Mahama revealed that a full-scale event at Independence Square would have cost at least GH₵20 million. Instead, the scaled-down version, held at the forecourt of the Jubilee House, required only a fraction of that amount.
“The state spent GH₵15 million on last year’s celebration in Cape Coast and GH₵13.7 million the previous year in Ho. This year, estimates indicated that a full-scale event at the Black Star Square would have cost GH₵20 million,” he stated.
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The president emphasised that in a period of economic hardship, the government had a responsibility to demonstrate fiscal prudence.
“In a year when we are calling on all to sacrifice, including workers who have accepted a base pay adjustment far below inflation, it is unconscionable to spend that amount on a few hours of celebration,” he added.
Mahama described the decision as part of broader efforts to exercise financial discipline amid Ghana’s ongoing economic crisis. He reassured Ghanaians that reducing the scale of the event did not diminish its significance.
“Ghana’s independence remains the most defining moment in our history, setting us on the path of nationhood and inspiring other African nations to seek self-determination,” President Mahama noted.
Traditionally, Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations have been held at the Black Star Square in Accra, but in recent years, they have been rotated among the regions. However, Mahama stated that the current economic difficulties made it necessary to put that arrangement on hold.
Despite the scaled-down nature of the event, it was attended by key government officials, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo, as well as foreign dignitaries, including Tanzania’s former President Jakaya Kikwete, who was the special guest.
The decision to reduce spending on the celebrations aligns with the government’s broader strategy of prioritising essential expenditures and ensuring the country’s economic stability. As Ghana continues to navigate financial challenges, the move is expected to set a precedent for cost-effective national celebrations in the future.
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