Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has said President John Dramani Mahama inherited an economy that was in severe distress but has made significant progress in stabilising it over the past 18 months.

Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Dr Forson argued that the 2022 economic crisis during former President Nana Akufo-Addo's tenure was the result of years of poor policy decisions rather than an unavoidable event.

"President Mahama inherited an economy on its knees," he said.

"The economic crisis of 2022 was not merely an accident. It was the consequence of a series of wrong policy choices – choices about reckless spending, excessive and binge borrowing, lack of accountability, and a failure to level with the people of Ghana about the true state of the Ghanaian economy."

Dr Forson said he addressed Parliament with "a deep sense of pride and confidence" based on what he described as the government's strong economic performance over the past 1 and a half years.

According to him, that confidence was grounded in "sound policy, evidence, credible data and measurable performance", as well as what he described as the lived experience of Ghanaians".

He said Ghanaians had endured a profound economic crisis but were now "standing on firmer ground”.