Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister-designate, has come under fire from the Minority over his responses during his recent vetting before Parliament's Appointments Committee.

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The criticism, led by Dr. Gideon Boako, Member of Parliament for Tano North, centered on Dr. Forson’s handling of critical economic issues.

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At a press conference on Wednesday, January 15, Dr. Boako accused Dr. Forson of failing to deliver clear and coherent strategies to address Ghana’s pressing economic challenges. He described the nominee's responses as vague and disappointing.

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"Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, who appeared as the Finance Minister-designate, was evasive, inconsistent, and lacked clarity of thought," Dr. Boako stated.

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Dr. Boako argued that Dr. Forson's experience as a former Deputy Minister of Finance and a ranking member of the Finance Committee should have prepared him better for the vetting process. He criticized Forson’s inability to offer straightforward solutions.

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"Having served as a Deputy Minister of Finance and a ranking member of the Finance Committee, one would have expected his answers to be forthright and to exude concrete solutions," he added.

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The Minority specifically took issue with Dr. Forson’s response regarding the government's promise to cover the first-year tuition fees for tertiary students. Dr. Boako expressed frustration with Forson’s failure to give a definitive response.

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"How can a Finance Minister-designate look into the faces of parents and young Ghanaian students and say that because he is not yet the Minister, he cannot answer whether the pledge by President Mahama to pay for their fees would be honoured?" he questioned.

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Dr. Boako asserted that the nominee’s vague response undermined public trust, particularly for students and parents who had relied on the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) campaign promises. He further accused the NDC of misleading the public with unattainable assurances.

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During his vetting, chaired by Bernard Ahiafor, Dr. Forson had expressed confidence in Ghana's revenue potential, stressing that enhanced compliance rather than increased taxation could boost revenue collection.

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"We don't necessarily have to increase taxes before you rake in revenue. What we need to do is improve compliance. I will work with the GRA and the tax policy unit to ensure we increase compliance and raise the revenue as much as we can," he stated.

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Outlining his goals, Dr. Forson emphasized his commitment to improving Ghana's tax-to-GDP ratio. "In the medium term, it is my vision, when approved, to increase the tax revenue from 13.8 percent of GDP to about 16 to 18 percent," he noted.

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