Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has held high-level discussions with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands on financial inclusion and economic empowerment, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
Queen Máxima attended in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), a role she has held since September 2024, building on 15 years of prior work on inclusive finance for development.
Dr. Forson said financial systems must go beyond connecting citizens to banks and formal institutions, stressing that genuine financial health means equipping people to withstand economic shocks, pursue opportunities, and plan their futures with confidence.
He said the government’s reset agenda places economic growth in direct service of citizens, with the goal of creating opportunities, protecting households, and restoring dignity to ordinary Ghanaians.
“Financial inclusion should not be symbolic but practical, ensuring that no Ghanaian is excluded from economic participation and access to opportunity,” he said.
The minister added that the true measure of economic progress lies not in national statistics alone, but in how effectively citizens are empowered to build secure and meaningful lives.
Queen Máxima’s Washington programme centred on financial inclusion, insurance access, and development-focused economic resilience, and included bilateral meetings with central bank governors and finance ministers from several countries.
As the UNSGSA, Queen Máxima advocates globally for the development of financial services, products, and policies designed to enhance financial health, protect against hardship, and promote long-term prosperity, with particular emphasis on the needs of those most vulnerable to economic and climate-related shocks.
