Finance Ministry Blocks GH¢8.1bn Irregularities (Tougher Controls, AG Probe to Curb Abuse)
The Ministry of Finance has put an end to what it called “systemic abuse of public funds” after the Ghana Audit Service found GH¢8.1 billion in problems in its report on arrears and payables as of the end of 2024. Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem spoke on behalf of Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson in the Parliament of Ghana. He said that the amount was rejected from a total of GH¢68.7 billion submitted for audit because of problems like lack of supporting documents, duplicate claims, overstatements, items that had already been paid for, fake store receipts, and payments for work that wasn’t done. GH¢45.4 billion was approved for payment. He said that the results showed that people were making up claims, using old invoices, making fake receipts, and working together with contractors. The ministry said that stricter controls are needed, such as full verification before payments, budgetary allocation before commitments, and accountability for all officers. They also said that the findings have been sent to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution. This is part of the government of John Dramani Mahama’s efforts to strengthen financial discipline and stop these kinds of problems from happening again.
