Queen Máxima to engage Bank of Ghana on financial health

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is expected to meet the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, as part of efforts to strengthen financial health and inclusion in Ghana.

The meeting, scheduled for November 4 and 5, will review the country’s progress in digital finance and identify policy and regulatory priorities for improving the financial wellbeing of households, workers and small businesses.

She will also co-host a roundtable with the central bank, bringing together financial sector leaders, regulators and development partners to discuss ways of making financial services more responsive to people’s needs.

The Bank of Ghana announced the engagements in a press release issued on Tuesday, November 3, as part of Queen Máxima’s four-day visit to Ghana in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health.

“The Bank of Ghana and Queen Máxima will also co-host a Roundtable on Financial Health,” the statement read in part.

The roundtable will examine issues including savings, responsible credit, insurance, pensions, investment and the role of workplaces in supporting employees’ financial wellbeing.

It will also explore how Ghana measures financial health and the role of innovation and collective action in improving financial outcomes across the financial sector.

The visit follows earlier discussions between Queen Máxima, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Dr Asiama during the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.

The discussions identified financial health as an important priority for strengthening economic resilience and promoting inclusive growth.

Queen Máxima was appointed the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health in September 2024, following 15 years in a similar role advocating for inclusive finance for development.

“Strengthening financial health is the next stage of Ghana’s financial inclusion journey,” the central bank stated.