Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
As I watched the budget and later read perspectives of various media houses, I relived a drama I wrote for Labone Secondary School for our Speech and Prize Giving Day around 30 years ago entitled: “Today is the Future” and I weave that flow into this article.
The curtain rises on a bold new act in Ghana’s economic story. On March 11, 2025, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson stepped onto the parliamentary stage, delivering the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, a script that promises to transform the lives of Ghana’s youth and rewrite the nation’s future.
Under the steady hand of President John Dramani Mahama, this budget emerges as a beacon of hope, a masterstroke designed to harness the energy of the young and propel them toward prosperity. It’s not just numbers on a page; it’s a clarion call to a generation ready to take centre stage.
Act One: Setting the Scene for Transformation
The lights dim on a nation at a crossroads. Years of economic turbulence—marked by a debt crisis, and a legacy of mismanagement that has left Ghana’s youth yearning for opportunities. Enter the 2025 budget, a GHS 290 billion ($19 billion) production, meticulously crafted to reset the economy and ignite growth.
Dr. Forson’s nearly two-hour address painted a vivid backdrop: a 5.7% growth rate in 2024, surpassing the previous year’s 2.9%, yet a sober projection of 4.4% for 2025. “This is a budget of growth and prosperity,” he declared, his voice resonating with resolve. “We will not wait for the world to hand us progress. We will seize it!”
For the youth, the spotlight shines brightest. With unemployment stubbornly high at around 10% of ages between 15 and 24, according to ADB. This budget pivots from reactive stopgaps to proactive empowerment. It’s a narrative shift, from prosperity curfews and containment to creation and ambition, with the youth cast as the protagonists of Ghana’s economic revival.
Act Two: The Big Push for Opportunity
The plot thickens with the “Big Push Programme,” a GHS 13.85 billion investment in infrastructure that promises to lay the tracks for youth-led progress. Roads, bridges, and digital networks will connect rural talent to urban markets, while GHS 1.5 billion fuels the Agricultural Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA).
Imagine a young farmer in the Daboya, Savannah Region, whose crops now reaching Accra’s bustling markets, or a coder in Volta Region tapping into a global tech ecosystem—thanks to the GHS 100 million National Coders Programme, set to train a million young minds.
Education takes a starring role, too. The Free Secondary Education Program secures GHS 3.5 billion to sustain 1.2 million students, while GHS 499.8 million introduces a No-Academic-Fee policy for first-year tertiary students. For young women, GHS 292.4 million ensures free sanitary pads, keeping them in classrooms rather than sidelined by circumstance.
“This is about equity,” said Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, his voice a steady drumbeat of optimism. “We’re building a stage where every youth can perform.”
Act Three: Prosperity in Motion
The climax unfolds with policies that don’t just promise jobs but create ecosystems of opportunities. The GHS 300 million National Apprenticeship Programme will mould skills for a 24-hour economy, a vision Ayariga calls “a game-changer,” with rollout details imminent.
Taxes like the E-levy and COVID-19 levy vanish, freeing up funds for young entrepreneurs to dream bigger. “This budget isn’t just figures,” Ayariga insisted. “It’s about real lives, real jobs.”
Critics in the Minority may grumble from the wings, decrying the absence of instant miracles, but the government counters with a pledge to sustainability. The National Health Insurance Scheme’s GHS 9.93 billion boost ensures the youth remain healthy to chase their ambitions, while structural reforms—like rationalizing tax exemptions—promise a fiscal foundation that won’t crumble mid-act.
Curtain Call: A Legacy in the Making
As the house lights rise, Ghana stands at the edge of transformation. The 2025 budget isn’t a fleeting performance—it’s a script for a generational shift, where youth prosperity isn’t a subplot but the main event. President Mahama, with the trust of a resounding mandate, directs this production with a steady hand, urging Ghanaians to join the cast. “We are determined,” he vowed, “to ensure every Ghanaian benefits.”
The stage is set, the players ready. For Ghana’s youth, 2025 isn’t just a year, it’s a promise kept, a prosperity earned, and a future reclaimed. Indeed, Today Is The Future.
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