'Challenge me' - Haruna Iddrisu backs Dr Ato Forson's economic record

Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has defended the government’s economic management strategy, insisting that the country has achieved stability under the leadership of Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, during proceedings on the economy, Haruna Iddrisu said the government had made significant gains in stabilising the economy over the past one and a half years.

He argued that key economic indicators showed marked improvement and challenged critics to dispute the gains recorded under the current administration.

“Let anybody challenge me and challenge this House that Ghana has not achieved economic stability under Minister Ato Forson,” he said.

According to him, inflation had dropped significantly from highs recorded between 2022 and 2023, while GDP growth had improved to 6.2 per cent.

He also pointed to an increase in Ghana’s external reserves, saying the country had moved from about $4 billion in reserves to $14 billion, citing figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Haruna Iddrisu paints grim picture of Ghana's economic reality

Haruna Iddrisu maintained that economic stabilisation was a necessary first step before tackling unemployment, stressing that a struggling economy could not effectively create jobs.

“How can an economy respond to addressing unemployment when that economy has not been stabilised?” he asked.

He said government initiatives such as the 24-hour economy, accelerated export development programmes, and import substitution policies were expected to help address unemployment and support economic recovery.

He also criticised the previous administration over revenue mobilisation targets and losses recorded by the Bank of Ghana, arguing that economic distress had contributed to the central bank’s financial challenges.

On the cocoa sector, Haruna Iddrisu accused the previous government of mismanagement, saying the cocoa industry had been left heavily indebted and in distress.

“Imagine that Cocoa Board today is in distress. How could that happen if not mismanagement?” he questioned.

He, however, acknowledged that while economic stability had been achieved, more work remained to address unemployment and ensure broader economic recovery.

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