The Founding President of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has shared mixed reactions to the vetting performance of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister-designate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
While he praised Dr. Forson for showing confidence and understanding Ghana’s economic challenges, Mr Cudjoe voiced concerns over his inability to address crucial questions about the NDC’s major economic policies.
In a scathing remarks, Mr Cudjoe revisited Dr. Forson’s answers to key questions raised during the vetting process by Minority Leader Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, emphasizing that these questions were critical to evaluating the viability of the NDC’s economic plans.
“…I was shocked with his responses to two important, if not the most important, questions of the day asked by Minority Leader Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin . Ato was short on details of his party’s most important and marketed flagship policy, the 24-hour economy when it came to the questions of modelling to ascertain costs and alternative funding arrangements
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
The Chief Executive Officer of the renowned policy think-tank expressed deep concerns over Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s inability to provide detailed information on the government’s proposed flagship policy.
He bemoaned Dr Ato Forson’s deferral of the question to Mr. Goosie Tanoh, identified as the President’s appointed advisor on the policy, as the more suitable person to address these concerns.
Mr Cudjoe found this troubling, questioning Dr Forson’s involvement in shaping the policy and his preparedness to oversee its implementation as Finance Minister. “A finance minister-designate must feel confident answering such questions unless he wasn’t involved in crafting the policy—which would be concerning,” Mr Cudjoe remarked.
Evasion on the $10 Billion Infrastructure Investment Plan
Another significant concern Franklin Cudjoe raised was the NDC’s pledge to invest $10 billion in public infrastructure while also reinstating a sinking fund and capping government borrowing.
According to Mr Cudjoe, Hon. Afenyo-Markin sought specifics on how this ambitious plan would align with Ghana’s debt obligations under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program from 2025 to 2028.
He asked: ‘How much of the $10 billion shall be raised each year, and how will that fit under the debt ceiling your manifesto is proposing?’ However, to the surprise of Mr Cudjoe, Dr. Forson’s response was vague, leaving major doubts about the feasibility of the plan.
As the prospective Finance Minister, Mr Cudjoe pointed out that Dr. Forson’s inability to outline the numbers and justify the plan within the IMF’s fiscal constraints seemed to undermine confidence in the proposal.
While acknowledging Dr. Forson’s intelligence and economic expertise, Mr Cudjoe questioned the approach taken during the vetting process.
“I didn’t understand the strategy of the Finance Minister-designate, but he surely must address these questions in the coming days. I know he is very smart,” he wrote, expressing concern about the preparedness of new administration’s to present detailed and actionable economic policies.
The issues raised by Franklin Cudjoe underscore the critical importance of economic policymaking at a time when Ghana faces fiscal challenges and heightened public expectations.
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