President Mahama stops $15m annual rent for Foreign Missions
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will no longer continue spending over $15 million annually on renting properties abroad for its diplomatic missions, describing the practice as wasteful and unsustainable.
Speaking after swearing in newly appointed Ambassadors and envoys, on Thursday, September 4, 2025, the President said the government, under the Reset Agenda, has approved a new framework known as the Strategic Transition from Rental to Developing (STRIDE) policy to address the challenge.
“Ghana cannot continue spending more than $15 million every year on renting properties abroad for our diplomatic use. This is not a judicious use of taxpayers’ resources, and the Reset Agenda is an immediate reversal of this trend,” he stated.
He revealed that the Cabinet has already approved the STRIDE policy, with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Finance tasked to urgently resolve the matter.
“From my latest briefing, a transaction advisor has been appointed, standard developments are being prepared, and funding mechanisms are already being negotiated,” President Mahama said.
He explained that the new policy would ensure Ghana’s foreign missions are accommodated in state-owned properties, thereby reducing unnecessary expenditure while enhancing the country’s image abroad.
“This shift will ensure that our missions abroad are housed in proper homes owned by the republic, reducing wasteful expenditure while safeguarding Ghana’s dignity on the international stage,” the President added.
