Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has described market women as the country’s most knowledgeable economists.

Speaking on JoyNews, he explained that their ability to navigate the intricate dynamics of trade played a key role in shaping aspects of the 2025 Budget, which he presented to Parliament on March 11, 2025.

Dr. Forson noted that despite the complexities of buying and selling, traders effectively manage their businesses, demonstrating remarkable economic expertise.

“The best economists in this country are market women. They have tried it, they’ve tested it, and they have been successful at it. So, to me, they are the best economists you can ever see around,” he said.

He stated that the budget, titled “Resetting the Ghana We Want,” was crafted through wide-ranging consultations with key stakeholders, including representatives from the National Economic Forum, traders, and policy think tanks.

Responding to inquiries about his choice to visit Makola Market for input before delivering the 2025 Budget, he pointed out that one recurring question stood out prominently during previous engagements.

"The question that kept coming up was how the government is going to address the needs of the people.

“We held series of meetings to ascertain the needs of the people. Then His Excellency, John Mahama, said I should engage further. I thought we should engage practitioners beyond think tanks and high-level experts, so, I decided to go down to the very basics. That is why I decided to visit the Makola Market,” he said.

The Finance Minister expressed surprise at how well female traders grasped the direct link between exchange rate fluctuations and price stability.

“What strongly stood out for me on my visit to Makola Market is the fact that most of the business owners were women,” he added.

He further noted that the traders identified exchange rate volatility as their biggest challenge.

According to them, stabilizing the Ghana cedi, as the government has promised, would help curb the unpredictable price increases of their goods.