The NPP Minority in Parliament has claimed that Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, during his vetting as the finance minister-designate, appeared evasive, inconsistent, and lacked clarity.
According to the Minority, given Ato Forson’s experience as a former Deputy Minister of Finance and ranking member of the Finance Committee, they expected more direct and solution-oriented responses from him.
The Minority specifically pointed out their disappointment with his unclear response regarding the government’s promise to cover first-year tuition fees for tertiary students.
“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 honored? This is a clear way of telling our tertiary students that the NDC party deceived them into voting for them.
“When asked about the Free SHS program and whether it would be extended to private schools as indicated in the NDC manifesto, the Minister Designate, in a very dismissive manner, asked whether those private schools write WASSCE exams. First, it was shocking to observe the minister designate feign ignorance of the fact that there are many private SHS that write the WASSCE”.
NPP Minority in Parliament
The NPP highlighted that during the election campaign, President Mahama met with the leadership of private senior high schools and promised to include them in the Free SHS program.
The party criticized this promise, stating that if President Mahama and the NDC were aware that no private SHS participates in the WASSCE exams, it raises concerns about the validity of their commitment.
They emphasized that some private SHS in Ghana do participate in WASSCE and are eagerly waiting to be included in the Free SHS program.
The NPP questioned whether the Minister-designate is suggesting that only schools participating in WASSCE are eligible for the Free SHS program. “The number of students in our tertiary schools is a public record, and an estimate ought to have been known with the promise”.
The party emphasized that, on behalf of their sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces, they remind the government that these students will soon be entering tertiary institutions.
Specifically, they highlighted that the deadline for payment of fees for freshers at KNUST was just yesterday, and the students are still waiting for assistance.
Minority Questions Ato Forson’s Clarity on Expenditure Cuts, Tax Shortfalls
Furthermore, the Minority in Parliament acknowledged the Minister’s firm commitment to abolish the betting tax, e-levy, COVID levy, and emissions tax, commending this move.
However, they expressed concerns about the lack of clarity on key issues, questioning how the Minister Designate intends to compensate for the revenue shortfalls resulting from these tax cuts.
The Minority noted that the Minister’s immediate response was to propose expenditure cuts as a means to balance revenue and expenses, thereby avoiding fiscal deficits.
However, they emphasized that while expenditure reduction may help, it is not a comprehensive solution for addressing revenue shortfalls.
“On the matter of expenditure cuts, the Minister Designate fell short in providing clarity on which aspects of government expenditure he intends to cut. Is it salaries, interest payments, or capital expenditure?
“Would the Minister Designate’s expenditure cuts affect: Teacher trainee allowances, Nursing trainee allowances, Free SHS, Livelihood empowerment against poverty, Subsidy on fertilizers for farmers, School feeding program, Salaries of government workers…”
NPP Minority in Parliament
The Minority further questioned whether the proposed expenditure cuts would impact improvements in the conditions of service for teachers, health professionals, security officers, and other essential service providers.
They also raised concerns about potential effects on infrastructure projects in the roads, education, health, and agriculture sectors, as well as ongoing road construction projects, youth employment initiatives, and social safety net programs. “Ghanaians need to know”.
The NPP stated that the Minister Designate’s unconvincing responses on addressing revenue shortfalls suggest he may scrap the existing taxes.
However, they fear he could introduce new, potentially more severe taxes to compensate for the lost revenue. “He cannot give with his right hand and take back with his left hand”.
The Minority raised concerns about the integrity of the finance minister-designate, pointing out that he provided inaccurate data when questioned about misleading figures he had used in 2019.
The NPP alleged that the Minister Designate attempted to rely on IMF data, which ultimately contradicted his claims.
According to the Minority, when it became clear that his own source did not support his argument, Ato Forson claimed he was being generous.
The NPP alleged that the Minister Designate cited a lower fiscal deficit of 6.1% for 2016, while the IMF’s figure was actually 6.3%. “Can a Minister boldly claim he was charitable in presenting incorrect figures? Interesting”.
