President John Dramani Mahama has named Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as Ghana’s next Minister for Finance, a critical appointment in his newly released ministerial list. 

Dr Forson’s nomination signals the government’s intention to focus on stabilising the country’s economy and implementing key fiscal reforms to drive growth and development.

Dr Ato Forson is no stranger to the Finance Ministry, having previously served as a Deputy Minister for Finance under President Mahama’s administration. 

During his tenure, he was instrumental in managing Ghana’s fiscal policies, negotiating key financial agreements, and supervising economic initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s financial health. 

Below is his full profile:

Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, MP Ph.D, MSc, BSc, ICA(Gh), FCIT(Gh) Economist |Chartered Accountant | Tax Practitioner.

Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson (Ph.D) is a lawmaker in the Parliament of Ghana. He is an economist of great repute with deep insight, particularly on the economy of Ghana, a Chartered Accountant and a Tax Practitioner with over 20 years’ experience in the public and private sectors.

His professional expertise covers macroeconomics, fiscal policy, tax policy and administration, finance and business management.

Dr. Forson is an Oxford-trained tax professional with a Master of Science degree in taxation from the University of Oxford, UK and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana.

He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from London South Bank University and is a member of the Insitute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG).

He obtained a Ph.D in Finance and a Master of Science degree in Economics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.

Dr. Forson has represented the people of Ajumako Enyan Essiam constituency in the Central Region as their Member of Parliament since 2009. In January 2023, Dr. Forson assumed office as the Minority Leader in Parliament.

Prior to this, he was the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament for six years.

From 2009 to 2013, he was a member of the Finance Committee of Parliament and also served as the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2011.

Dr. Forson served as the Deputy Minister for Finance of the Republic of Ghana from April 2013 to January 2017, overseeing Budget PreparaAon and ImplementaAon, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Treasury and Debt Management, External Resource Mobilisation and Tax Policy and Administration.

As a Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. Forson also served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Ghana and Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), a member of Ghana's Economic Management Team and Ghana's Alternate Governor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Dr. Forson was instrumental in negoAaAng the Ghana-IMF Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Programme in 2015. He also championed the introduction of Ghana’s model Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921).

Dr. Forson is currently the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in the Parliament of Ghana.