….Jinapor, Ayine Take Energy & Attorney General
President John Dramani Mahama, has entrusted Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, with the responsibility of safeguarding Ghana’s public purse as the Minister for Finance.
This appointment is part of the President’s first wave of key ministerial nominations, which also, includes John Abdulai Jinapor, as Minister for Energy-Designate and Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice-Designate.
The appointments signify President Mahama’s efforts to assemble a competent team to steer his administration’s agenda for the country.
Parliament is expected to rigorously vet the nominees to ensure they meet the qualifications for their respective roles.
These nominations reflect the President’s commitment to fostering economic growth, ensuring efficient financial management, and strengthening governance.
Dr Forson, is a seasoned economist, chartered accountant, and tax practitioner with over 20 years of experience in public finance, macroeconomics, fiscal policy, and business management.
The man who in the last administration of Mr Mahama, was one of the deputy ministers to then Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency since 2009.
Born on August 5, 1978, in Ajumako Bisease in Ghana’s Central Region, Dr Forson’s academic credentials, include: a Ph.D. in Finance, from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). His dissertation was on the topic: “Entrepreneurial Financial Resource Orchestration and Venture Growth: Theoretical Specification and Empirical Validation”.
He has a Master of Science in Taxation, from the University of Oxford, UK, a Master of Science in Economics (Macroeconomics), KNUST and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, from London South Bank University.
A chartered accountant and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana, Dr. Forson has played pivotal roles in Ghana’s financial management.
Between 2013 and 2017, he served as Deputy Minister for Finance under President Mahama, where he oversaw budget preparation, debt management, tax policy, and external resource mobilization.
He was also instrumental in negotiating Ghana’s 2015 Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and spearheaded the introduction of the Public Financial Management Act, of 2016 (Act 921).
Dr Forson, who previously served as Minority Leader in Parliament, is known for his deep understanding of Ghana’s economic landscape and his dedication to public service.
A statement issued by the presidency yesterday, January 9, 2025, revealed that the nominations have been submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for approval by Article 78 of the 1992 Constitution.
These appointments mark the first steps in assembling President Mahama’s team to drive his administration’s agenda for the country.
Parliament is expected to scrutinize the nominees before their confirmation, ensuring they meet the requirements to assume their respective roles.
In January 2023, Dr Forson, assumed office as the Minority Leader in Parliament. Before 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 Preparation and implementation, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Treasury and Debt Management, External Resource MobilisaAon 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 negotiating 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.
John Abdulai Jinapor,brings a wealth of hands-on experience, competence, and know-how to the energy portfolio. With his extensive qualifications, particularly in energy economics and finance, he is expected to bring much-needed dynamism and capabilities to transform the energy sector.
Jinapor, holds a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Economic Policy Management, an MBA in Marketing and a Master of Science (MSc) in Development Finance from the University of Ghana.
He also holds a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Energy Economics from GIMPA and a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Financial Law from the University of London.
Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine,is a senior lawyer with three decades of experience in practice.
He previously served as Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice and is the founding partner of Ayini & Partners Law Offices.
He holds a Ph.D. in law from Stanford University, a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Michigan Law School, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ghana.
He has also lectured at the University of Ghana Law School for many years.
