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This year’s Independence Day celebration will be scaled down by the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, who plans to save money by shifting the parade to Jubilee House, the seat of government.
Speaking to the media, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State for Government Communications, announced that the regional rotational celebration has been put on hold because the 2023 event cost the nation GH¢15,000,000.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to responsible expenditure while fulfilling its primary purpose.
Although the national capital used to be the primary location for the celebrations, he said that in recent years, an attempt has been made to spread the festivities among several provincial capitals.
“Whereas the intentions may be noble, President Mahama has asked that the rotational policy be suspended because of the need to scale down, and this has become necessary due to escalating costs. It has been discovered after some review that the rotation imposed additional cost, and therefore, at a time when our national budget is severely constrained due to economic difficulties, it was not going to be sustainable to keep rotating the national celebrations.”
Indeed, there are major economic ramifications depending on where the festivities are conveyed, as you would discover if I were to put numbers on the expense. The latest celebrations in Ho, for example, cost the nation an incredible GHS15 million, and we have had to pay for them each time they were moved to a different regional capital outside of Accra.
“In the spirit of cutting down on non-essential expenditure, President Mahama has instructed that this rotational policy be suspended. In addition to this, the main celebration, which ordinarily would have taken place in Accra at Independence Square, has become the subject of some rollback.
He added the President is mindful of the current economic difficulties and other urgent obligations to re-prioritize government spending, even though he regards the commemoration as an important part of the nation’s history.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
