The Minority in Parliament has expressed strong reservations about the performance of Cassiel Ato Baah Forson during his vetting as Finance Minister-designate.
According to the Minority, Forson appeared evasive, inconsistent and lacked clarity of thought throughout the vetting process.
Having previously served as Deputy Minister of Finance and as a ranking member of the Finance Committee, the Minority had high expectations for Forson to provide forthright answers and concrete solutions.
However, his responses were deemed disappointing, particularly on key issues such as the government’s pledge to cover first-year tuition fees for tertiary students.
Forson’s inability to confirm whether this promise would be honoured according to the Minority is a betrayal to parents and young Ghanaian students.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Wednesday, January 15, Dr. Gideon Boako, Member of Parliament for Tano North criticised what he described as Ato Forson’s dismissive attitude towards the Free SHS programme and its potential extension to private schools.
Dr. Boako pointed out that many private SHS institutions participate in the WASSCE exams, a fact that seemed to elude Forson.
He questioned the basis of the NDC’s promise to include private schools in the program if they were unaware of this reality.
The Minority also raised concerns about Forson’s commitment to scrapping certain taxes, including the betting tax, E-levy, COVID levy and emissions tax.
While they acknowledged his intent, they were sceptical of his vague plans to offset the resulting revenue shortfalls.
The Minority caucus was unhappy with Ato Forson’s assertion that expenditure cuts would bridge the gap when he failed to specify which government expenditure would be affected.
Additionally, questions about Forson’s credibility surfaced when he provided incorrect data in response to a query about misleading statistics he presented in 2019.
His reliance on IMF data, which differed from the figures he used, further dented his integrity, according to the Minority.
The Minority remains unconvinced by Forson’s performance during the vetting and calls for greater transparency and accountability from the Finance Minister-designate.
They emphasised that Ghanaians deserve clear, honest answers on critical national issues affecting their lives and the country’s future.
Read the full minority statement here
