Ken Ofori-Atta Performed Better Than Ato Forson in First Two Years as Finance Minister – Kofi Bentil

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has argued that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta performed better than the current Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, during their respective first two years in office.

Bentil made the assessment on Saturday, November 14, 2026, during an appearance on TV3’s KeyPoint programme, where he discussed the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented to Parliament by Dr Forson.

According to the policy analyst, although Ato Forson has performed well in managing the economy, a comparison of the two ministers’ early records suggests that Ofori-Atta achieved stronger results.

“The first two years of Ato Forson compared to the first two years of Ofori-Atta, Ofori-Atta did better. Ato is a fantastic minister, but two years is not enough to call finality on anybody’s record,” Bentil stated.

He argued that Forson inherited a relatively stronger economic position, including gold reserves and the benefits of debt restructuring, which should be considered when assessing his performance.

Bentil also questioned the extent to which the current administration could claim credit for initiatives such as the Ghana Gold Board, arguing that some of the ideas behind the initiative existed before the Mahama government assumed office.

He described Ato Forson as a good manager who had taken care of the economic situation he inherited, rather than someone who should receive credit for creating every achievement being celebrated.

However, a comparison of economic indicators shows a more complicated picture. Ofori-Atta’s first year recorded 8.1 per cent economic growth in 2017, compared with 6.0 per cent under Forson in 2025. On the other hand, inflation declined to 5.5 per cent in October 2026 under Forson, compared with 9.5 per cent in October 2018 under Ofori-Atta, although the inflation figures use different statistical series.

Bentil cautioned against making final judgments based on only two years in office, urging Forson to remain focused on his responsibilities.

His comments have sparked renewed debate about the economic records of the previous NPP administration and the current NDC government.

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