The future of the youth is too important for waste – Ato Forson

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has emphasized the importance of value for money in Ghana's New Economy agenda, stating that the nation cannot afford to squander resources needed to create opportunities for its youth. At a University of Ghana lecture, Dr. Forson urged investments to be measured by their capacity to generate jobs, bolster businesses, and enhance livelihoods.

He declared that the New Economy must be disciplined, as the future of young Ghanaians is too precious to waste: "Every cedi must work. Every project must pass the test of value for money."

To evaluate investments, Dr. Forson outlined five crucial questions: Will it boost productivity? Will it create jobs? Will it expand exports? Will it foster private enterprise? Will it improve the lives of Ghanaians? He made it clear that investments failing to answer these questions have no place in the transformation process.

Dr. Forson also stressed that disciplined spending must go hand-in-hand with bold ambition to tackle Ghana's challenges. "It must be bold because the scale of the problem is large," he noted. He called for nationwide involvement in delivering the programme, emphasizing that economic transformation cannot be achieved solely by the government. "It must be national because transformation cannot be carried by government alone."