Kofi Bentil Says Ofori-Atta Outperformed Ato Forson in First Two Years as Finance Minister

The Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has stirred debate over the performance of Ghana’s Finance Ministers after arguing that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta performed better during his first two years in office than Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has done in his corresponding period.

Bentil made the assessment during an appearance on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, November 14, 2026, while discussing the 2027 Budget and the state of Ghana’s economy.

He acknowledged that Dr Forson was doing well in managing the economy but maintained that a comparison of the opening two years of both ministers’ tenures favoured Ofori-Atta.

“The first two years of Ato Forson compared to the first two years of Ofori-Atta, Ofori-Atta did better,” he stated.

However, Bentil cautioned against making a final judgement on the current Finance Minister’s performance based on only two years in office.

“Ato is a fantastic minister, but two years is not enough to call finality on anybody’s record. Dear Ato, don’t be sidetracked; focus on what you have to do,” he added.

Bentil further argued that Dr Forson inherited a relatively stronger economic position than Ofori-Atta did when he assumed office in January 2017. He pointed to Ghana’s gold reserves and the benefits of debt restructuring, which he said should be considered when comparing the two ministers’ records.

He also questioned the presentation of the commitment authorisation regime as an entirely new fiscal measure, arguing that a similar system had existed under Ofori-Atta, although it operated under a different name.

His comments have generated debate about the government’s economic management and the extent to which individual Finance Ministers should be credited or blamed for changes in the country’s economic indicators.

Despite his favourable comparison of Ofori-Atta’s early performance, Bentil maintained that Dr Forson should remain focused on his responsibilities and be given more time before a definitive judgement is made.

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