68th Independence Day celebration to be held at Jubilee House

This year’s Independence Day celebration will be held at the forecourt of the Jubilee House rather than in a specific region, the Presidency has announced.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State for Government Communications, explained that the tradition of rotating the celebrations among regional capitals is put on hold to save costs.

He pointed out that last year’s event alone cost the nation GH¢15 million.

Kwakye Ofosu highlighted the government’s dedication to responsible financial management while remaining focused on its essential duties.

Traditionally, the event has been celebrated primarily in the national capital, but recent years have seen a push to host the festivities in various regional 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,” he said.

He added that although the President values the independence celebration as a significant part of the country’s history, he’s minded by the current economic challenges and other pressing needs to re-prioritise government expenditure.

“He believes that it is entirely possible to hold a modest but significant event to mark this important occasion without breaking the national purse,” he concluded.