Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Abeiku Santana, has refuted claims that the creative arts sector was overlooked in the 2025 national budget.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM on September 16, 2025, Santana stressed that suggestions of zero allocation for the sector are misleading.
According to him, although the budget document did not explicitly highlight a dedicated sum, key institutions such as the Black Star Experience secretariat and the Creative Arts Agency are actively implementing programmes with existing funding support.
“Just because the president said an allocation is going to be made for the creative arts doesn’t mean no money was spent on the body this year,” Santana clarified. “We cannot claim that we have not spent any money in the sector, that’s not true. Look at the Black Star Experience and the Creative Arts Agency—they are moving around, planning, and executing activities. There is funding for all that.”
He explained that President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge of an allocation for the sector in the 2026 Budget refers to a comprehensive funding framework that will be rolled out once a full timeline of events and activities is released.
“What the budget will be for is when they finally release a proper timeline of events. Then the amount needed will be given to them. That is what the President meant by a budgetary allocation will be made next year,” he added.
Santana further assured stakeholders that the creative arts sector has not been neglected and urged the public, especially industry players, to remain patient.
“So things are going on; it’s not like the sector was abandoned or there was no money for it. I’m urging people to be patient and trust the process,” he said.
President Mahama, during his recent media engagement, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the creative economy, pledging that the 2026 fiscal budget will include targeted allocations to support film, music, and other creative industries.
