Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has called on Ghanaians to safeguard the value of the national currency, the cedi, by ending the widespread practice of pricing goods and services in foreign currencies, especially the U.S. dollar.
Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Ghana Cedi on Tuesday, Dr. Forson said maintaining the integrity of the cedi is a collective responsibility and crucial to protecting Ghana’s economic sovereignty.
“We must maintain the sanctity of the cedi as a legal tender by preserving it with dignity and protecting it jealously,” he urged.
He cautioned that pricing in foreign currencies undermines confidence in the cedi and erodes its value.
“We must be as true in the act that seeks to undermine the value of the currency, particularly the pricing of goods and services in foreign currency, the U.S. dollar,” he stated.
Dr. Forson reiterated that the Ghana cedi remains the only legal tender in the country and called for an immediate end to dollar-based transactions.
“As Ghanaians, the Ghana cedi remains the only legal tender. The U.S. dollar is not our currency. The cedi is our only currency,” he declared. “The continuous pricing of goods and services in U.S. dollars will only hurt us. Let’s stop it, and let us stop it now.”
He encouraged citizens to take pride in the cedi and view it as a symbol of Ghana’s independence and resilience. “Let us talk about the cedi with pride, not as a burden, but always as a badge of economic independence,” Dr. Forson added.
The event, themed “60 Years of the Cedi: A Symbol of Sovereignty, Stability, and Economic Resilience,” brought together key government officials and stakeholders to celebrate six decades of Ghana’s national currency and its role in driving economic identity and stability.
