'Is Ato Still Forson?': Why Ghana's finance minister is trending on social media

The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has found himself at the center of social media debates, particularly on X, after the government once again failed to meet its treasury bill auction target.

On Monday, June 23, 2025, the government announced that it had missed its T-bill target for the fourth consecutive time.

According to data from the Bank of Ghana, the auction sought to raise GH¢4.551 billion but secured only GH¢3.379 billion, of which GH¢2.952 billion was accepted.

The consistent shortfalls have raised concerns among market watchers and the public.

However, financial analysts attribute the weak performance to shifting investor preferences. Many investors are reportedly moving towards Bank of Ghana bills, which currently offer a more attractive 27% yield, significantly higher than the national inflation rate of 18.4%.

This development has set social media ablaze, with the hashtag #AtoForson trending as users question the Finance Minister’s handling of the economy.

Some critics argue that the repeated auction misses signal waning investor confidence and are calling for clearer fiscal direction.

However, some netizens have defended the government, suggesting that the current strategy may be part of broader reforms aimed at reducing borrowing costs and repositioning the economy.

Read some of the posts under the trending topic below:

Is Ato still Forson? 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/XEw0YfFCx7

— Richard Gyamfi (@rgyamfi107) June 23, 2025

Where Ato has reached is far better

— Isaiah Mills (@isaiah1mills) June 24, 2025

It’s no joke ,a lot of people are now pulling out and investing their money elsewhere. Some are even buying dollars. I know someone who cashed out 600,000 Ghana cedis just last week. He was so angry with his gains. Oh dem spoil the t bill ooh.

— NANA ADDO (@emma_jnrk) June 23, 2025

If the government is always meeting its T-bills target what that means is that the government is pushing the small businesses out of the market, the banks 🏦 will prefer to give money to the government than to the small businesses to expand to employ the youth.

Good move.

— I am Ghana (@iam4Ghana) June 24, 2025

Government failure to meet T-Bill target isn’t really a big deal because from the auction report over 400m in bids were rejected. The government is only trying to manage the interest rate by not borrowing excessively

— Kwamena Rockson🦂 (@QwamenaRockson) June 24, 2025

Ato is definitely not Forson🤣🤣

— Ms.NPP (@DashelleAdu) June 23, 2025

In Ghana People are just waiting for you to fail 🥲

— Jack Moni (@Kwa_dwo_) June 24, 2025

No. Forson is Ato. 8 solid years and not even chewing stick was reduced by 10p. Ato is forson and vice versa. Even if fuel is 13ghc per litre today, Ato is more than Forson. Your solid economic team is more than a disease.

— Alukyi's Gardener.... 💐 (@break81523221) June 23, 2025

Do you even know what that means?

— ½-a-miLL (@Get_a_miLL) June 23, 2025

The BoG bills are from Iran ong?

— K.Noah (@wumborbi) June 23, 2025

He is forson more than the word forson

— DNA (@AgbeySelor8982) June 23, 2025

SP/MA

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