Stop dwelling on the past; you’re in power now — Tweneboa Fokuo to Ato Forson

Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta, Tweneboa Kodua Fokuo, has criticised Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson for devoting a significant portion of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to what he described as lamentations about the previous administration, rather than focusing on the government’s achievements.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Big Issue on Saturday, July 25, Fokuo argued that after 18 months in office, the government should no longer be preoccupied with explaining the country’s inherited challenges but rather demonstrate the impact of its policies on the lives of Ghanaians.

According to him, the Finance Minister spent considerable time recounting the shortcomings of the former government before outlining the current administration’s accomplishments, a pattern he believes should come to an end.

“We are 18 months into the government’s tenure. By now, the focus should be on what has been achieved rather than repeatedly talking about the past. Ghanaians entrusted the government with power to improve their lives, and they should be experiencing those improvements firsthand,” he said.

Fokuo maintained that governments do not need to constantly remind citizens of their achievements if those policies are delivering tangible benefits. He argued that improvements in livelihoods, businesses and household incomes would speak louder than repeated explanations during budget presentations.

While acknowledging that some macroeconomic indicators have shown improvement, including the appreciation of the cedi and a decline in inflation over recent months, Fokuo suggested that these gains alone are insufficient to convince Ghanaians that their living conditions have improved.

His comments come in the wake of Dr. Forson’s presentation of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, during which the Finance Minister highlighted the government’s economic performance and outlined a series of policy measures aimed at strengthening revenue mobilisation and improving fiscal management.

Among the measures announced was the introduction of statutory maximum warehousing periods to curb the prolonged storage of goods in bonded warehouses. The Finance Minister said the reform is intended to improve customs administration, speed up revenue collection and reduce congestion at the country’s ports.