Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has launched a sharp critique of the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, blaming it for reckless fiscal habits that left the country in economic distress.
Speaking to Joy News on Thursday, July 24, shortly after presenting the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Dr. Forson claimed that the NPP-led administration had indulged in unsustainable levels of spending without matching revenue generation.
According to him, the current administration under President John Mahama inherited a fragile economic structure plagued by excessive expenditure that lacked any financial backing.
“The NPP used to spend what they didn’t have. They didn’t have revenue, but they were just spending. So they expect us to spend. They were living large. I mean, they were living a champagne lifestyle on akpeteshie budget,” he stated.
Defending the current government’s cautious and disciplined approach to fiscal management, Dr. Forson made it clear that they would not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.
“If you live such a lifestyle and someone comes in and becomes very prudent, you will be worried. That is why they are complaining, they want us to spend as if there’s no tomorrow,” he said.
He insisted that under his watch, Ghana’s financial decisions would be guided by responsibility and long-term planning rather than short-term populism.
“We don’t do that. That is not our training. You spend within your means; what we have is what we’re spending, and we’re spending rightly,” he emphasized.
Dr. Forson also used the opportunity to reaffirm the Mahama-led administration’s commitment to sustainable development, adding that every cedi spent must reflect value and necessity, not excess.
