Ghana’s 2025 budget pivots to resource nationalism and round-the-clock productivity to counter economic stagnation, earmarking $279 million for a state gold board (GOLDBOD) to formalize small-scale mining and boost reserves.
The “24-hour economy” policy—a cornerstone of President Mahama’s agenda—aims to spur job creation through night shifts in agriculture and manufacturing, though critics call it vague.
Forson also announced a $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure plan targeting roads and energy, while slashing funding for legacy programs like YouStart. Social spending sees mixed priorities: free sanitary pads for schoolgirls and tertiary fees for disabled students are funded, but a 33% hike in school meal budgets clashes with cuts to health and energy subsidies.
“The gold focus is smart, but structural reforms are missing,” said economist Nana Ama Boateng. “Without tackling corruption and inefficiency, this is just reshuffling deck chairs.”
