Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson says being popular with ministries, departments, and agencies is not part of his job. His loyalty, he insists, is to the people of Ghana.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express after presenting the 2026 Budget to Parliament, the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP said capping non-essential expenditures like foreign travel, workshops, and luxury procurements will naturally make him unpopular with colleagues.

“If, as a finance minister, you are too popular, then there’s something wrong with it. Too popular within the group that you are talking about, then you are failing,” he said.

Dr Forson explained that his focus is on directing resources to public services.

“I want to be popular with the people of Ghana. Whatever I have to do to serve their needs and be able to save, to pay for school feeding, to pay for free SHS, to be able to put nurses in hospitals, to build hospitals, to give maternal care, and all, there are people with non-communicable diseases, they need money. Instead of somebody travelling, I will cut that expenditure and give it to someone who needs dialysis,” he said.

He added that some programs could be conducted remotely, reducing waste without cutting essential services.

“Some of the travels are very unnecessary. Some of the programs you can engage in via Zoom. How many cars will you drive? Why do you have to have five cars in a home when you can only drive one at a time?” he asked.

Dr Forson said he has full backing from President Mahama, stressing that the 2026 Budget is the President’s document.

“The President read this budget cover to cover, personally, editing, putting things that he wanted in. This is his document, not my document. I read on his behalf. So the budget belongs to the President. I read it on the authority of the President. For the President to the Parliament and the people of Ghana,” he said.