Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, has described as “false” and “misleading” claims by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta that the country’s economy has seen a massive improvement.

According to him, the woes of Ghanaians have actually deepened under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration

While delivering the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on July 31, the Finance Minister said Ghana is making modest gains in turning the economy around after facing severe economic hardships in 2022.

Mr. Ofori-Atta emphasized that the government’s policies and programs are beginning to bear fruit, and he urged the public to recognize the key milestones reached in the last three years.

These claims did not go down well with the Minority Leader.

Dr. Ato Forson maintains that the evidence and numbers show differently.

He raised a number of issues with the situation of the economy today. For instance, he cited a downward revision to economic growth from 2.8% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP, showing a slower recovery than previously thought.

“The performance so far shows that we have turned the corner. Unfortunately, the evidence and the numbers before us, show us that he has rather deepened our woes,” Cassiel Ato Forson said.

“I say this because he has said to us today that he’s revising economic growth from 2.8% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP. Again, he said to us here and now that he has borrowed 5.5 billion Ghana cedis from January to June, from the T-Bill market. Mr Speaker, not long ago, this same Minister informed us that he will not borrow at all in the year 2023. And that going into the remaining parts of the year, he is going to borrow another 41 billion Ghana cedis.”

“Aside from that, the Cedi depreciation we are seeing so far, it’s largely because we have defaulted in the payment of external interest and principal. That is why the cedi has depreciated.”