Mahama hosts Queen Máxima at Jubilee House – Financial Health tops agenda
The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, received Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, on Thursday, 5th November 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Jubilee House, Accra.
Both Foreign Ministers of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), Minister, and Hon. James Gyakye Quayson (MP), Deputy Minister, participated in the meeting.
The Dutch Queen recalled her last visit to Ghana some twenty-five (25) years ago, when she was still a Princess, and the experience she had at that time with Her Royal Highness Lady Julia Osei Tutu. She again visited the Manhyia Palace, Kumasi, this time round as well.
The meeting afforded both Ghana and the Netherlands the opportunity to discuss Ghana’s progress in promoting financial inclusion and advancing financial health, particularly among women, young people, farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Discussions also focused on strengthening access to affordable financial services, expanding digital financial infrastructure, improving access to credit and insurance, and mobilising private-sector investment to support inclusive economic growth.
She said some highlights of the Dutch Queen’s visit were her interactions with women traders at the Makola Market and other groups, noting the importance of understanding their financial circumstances and the challenges they face in accessing appropriate financial products. She also referred to her engagements with farmers and women in the agricultural sector and how fascinated she was when she saw they could operate some machinery like the tractors, emphasising the need to improve access to financing, insurance and other support services to enhance productivity and strengthen their livelihoods as well as that of their families.
President Mahama welcomed the Queen’s proposals and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and improving access to digital services across the country. He told Queen Máxima that the Government was pursuing initiatives to expand digital connectivity, including upgrading telecommunications infrastructure from 2G to 4G to improve internet access, particularly in rural communities. He also indicated that the Government was introducing a digital wallet linked to the national identification system to facilitate access to digital services and financial transactions.
The President acknowledged the importance of traditional informal savings arrangements, particularly the susu system, which had historically enabled groups of individuals to pool financial resources and provide support to group members in turns. He noted that although the expansion of mobile money services had affected the traditional system, the introduction of taxes on mobile money transactions had also contributed to a shift by some users towards cash transactions.
He agreed that reducing the cost of digital transactions and developing innovative ways of digitising traditional savings arrangements would encourage wider participation in the formal financial system. He further stressed that such innovations should preserve the social and communal benefits associated with traditional savings groups.
Queen Máxima expressed her appreciation to President Mahama for his support and leadership, emphasising that Ghana was well poised to advance the financial health agenda through stronger public-private partnerships and the effective use of digital technology. She reiterated her commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts through the relevant international partnerships and technical expertise.
The meeting concluded with both sides, Ghana and the Netherlands, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation towards advancing financial health, expanding financial inclusion and improving access to affordable and appropriate financial services, particularly for women, farmers, young people and SMEs.
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