The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Atta Issah, has mounted a spirited defence of Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, challenging the Minority's repeated claims that the minister has failed to mobilise enough revenue or adequately execute government spending.

Contributing to the debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Tuesday, July 26, while responding directly to criticisms from the Minority that Dr. Ato Forson is failing to generate sufficient revenue, Atta Issah compared revenue performance under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration with that of the current government.

He cited official budget figures, noting that in 2017, the NPP budgeted to raise GH¢44.96 billion but collected GH¢41.25 billion, leaving a shortfall of GH¢3.71 billion. In 2018, government missed its revenue target by GH¢2.59 billion, while in 2019 the shortfall widened to GH¢4.34 billion.

By contrast, he said, the current administration budgeted to raise GH¢229.95 billion in 2025 and realised GH¢226.49 billion, representing a gap of GH¢3.46 billion.

"On what grounds, what temerity do you have to say that Ato Forson is not raising enough revenue?" he questioned.

The Sagnarigu MP also dismissed assertions that the Finance Minister had failed to spend adequately to drive development.

He compared expenditure execution rates, stating that the NPP recorded execution rates of 94.5%, 95.7% and 96.5% in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively, while Dr. Ato Forson achieved 94.4% in 2025.

"On what grounds are you saying he's not spending?" he asked again.

Mr Issah further argued that the International Monetary Fund's assessment of Ghana's fiscal performance under the previous administration did not support the Minority's claims.

He noted that the IMF had described Ghana's 2017 revenue performance as "moderate" and expenditure execution as "restrained", assigning the country's overall fiscal performance an "amber" rating while citing concerns over capital spending and arrears.

The lawmaker also criticised the Akufo-Addo administration's borrowing record, claiming the previous government accumulated debt at an unprecedented pace.

According to him, the NPP added GH¢47.4 billion to the national debt in 2021, GH¢84.5 billion in 2022 and GH¢116 billion in 2024.

"President Akufo-Addo has the record of having borrowed more than all presidents combined from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah," he asserted.

He noted that the current government's economic performance should be measured by improvements in price stability and fiscal management rather than partisan criticism, insisting that the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review demonstrates that the economy is on a path of recovery.