… He therefore called for a formal reconciliation of the various figures by the institutions involved. “A signed reconciliation from the Bank of Ghana, GoldBod and the Finance Ministry showing exactly how the GH¢22 billion, GH¢9.05 billion and GH¢5.45 billion figures connect,” was …
… It pointed out that it would not suspend enacted rates on unquantified assertions, and invited ABL to submit verifiable data, including supplier and aggregator records, employment figures and financial reconciliations for review by the Finance Ministry and GRA.
… Mr Iddrisu also pointed to the Ministry of Defence, where the Finance Minister previously served in a caretaker capacity while continuing to perform his duties at the Finance Ministry. …
JoyNews Research has fact-checked a claim by Abena Osei-Asare, former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry and Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), concerning the losses the Bank of Ghana reported in connection with its Domestic Gold Purchase Programm …
… Dr Jinapor disclosed that President Mahama has directed the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Ghana and other relevant institutions to begin discussions this week on restructuring the payment framework. …
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the 2027 Budget, to be presented to Parliament in early November 2026, will detail major infrastructure projects and policy initiatives aimed at job creation and economic growth. The government intends to invest about US$10 billion to stimulate economic activity, moving the economy from stabilisation to stronger, more sustainable growth.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the 2027 Budget, to be presented to Parliament in early November 2026, will detail major infrastructure projects and policy initiatives aimed at job creation and economic growth. The government intends to invest about US$10 billion to stimulate economic activity, moving the economy from stabilisation to stronger, more sustainable growth.
Works and Housing Minister Ahmed Ibrahim has called for a review of the proposed one-year closure of a 1.5-kilometre section of the Winneba–Accra road at Kaneshie to allow contractors to undertake critical engineering works, warning that such a lengthy closure could cause severe disruption to commuters and businesses and urging coordination among multiple government institutions.
Former Finance Minister Dr Mohammed Amin Adam has called for full disclosure and accountability regarding reported losses in Ghana's gold trading programme, citing discrepancies between figures in the IMF Country Report (approximately GH¢22 billion economic cost), the Bank of Ghana's reported loss (GH¢9.05 billion), and GoldBod's reported surplus. Dr Amin Adam said the NPP is seeking answers and supporting documents, including a formal reconciliation of these figures from the relevant institutions.
The government has rejected Acra Brewery Limited's objections to amendments to Ghana's beer excise duty sliding scale, stating that the sliding scale has been retained in its three-band form with a 22.5 percentage point preferential margin for top-band producers. The government says the review was prompted by evidence that the concession is being claimed at a scale that local agricultural production does not support.
An NPP deputy ranking member has filed a Right to Information request demanding detailed financial records of Ghana's evacuation of nationals from South Africa, citing the Ministry's vague statement that the government and "Ghanaian partners" funded the operation without disclosing total spending or the identity of private entities involved.
Speaker Alban Bagbin has recalled Parliament from recess for a five-day sitting beginning Monday, August 24, to consider urgent government business including the vetting of newly appointed ministers, changes in Majority caucus leadership, and reconsideration of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill. The Minority caucus has questioned the need for the recall, arguing the matters are neither urgent nor significant enough to warrant reconvening during recess.
JoyNews Research found false a claim by former Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare that the Bank of Ghana understated losses from its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme in its 2025 financial report. The claim juxtaposed an IMF full-programme estimate of $1.7 billion against a narrower IMF figure for Q1-Q3 2025, while the Bank of Ghana reported a net loss on gold deals of approximately $871 million for the full year.
President Mahama has directed the government to review whether Ghana's state-owned Tema Oil Refinery should pay for domestically produced crude oil in cedis rather than U.S. dollars, aiming to reduce pressure on the foreign exchange market. The Minister for Energy said discussions will begin this week, noting the inconsistency of TOR purchasing dollars to pay for local crude while selling refined products in cedis.
Since 2021, Ghana's government has collected GH¢2.03 billion through a Sanitation and Pollution Levy (10 pesewa per litre of fuel) to fund waste management, air quality, and sanitation improvements. Of GH¢1.51 billion spent by end-2024, about 80 percent went to landfill and waste treatment maintenance, while GH¢0 was allocated to constructing sanitation facilities to eliminate open defecation, one of the levy's stated core objectives.
The Finance Ministry has assured that Ghana will meet its revenue target for 2026, citing ongoing government reforms and the expected strengthening of tax mobilisation in the third and fourth quarters, despite provisional mid-year collections falling short of the government's target.
The Court of Appeal set aside all 78 convictions against former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu on July 30, 2026, finding that the prosecution failed to properly authenticate key evidence, including a ten-year-old letter that was the basis for the largest theft count of GH¢500,000.
The Court of Appeal has acquitted and discharged former MASLOC boss Sedina Tamakloe, who was convicted by the High Court in 2019 on 78 criminal counts related to mismanagement of agency finances, including a GH¢500,000 investment refund, diverted disaster relief funds, and inflated vehicle purchases. The appellate court found the state had not proved its case against her beyond reasonable doubt.
Ghana has completed its three-year Extended Credit Facility with the IMF, with the Board approving a final disbursement of US$371 million. The Finance Ministry said the completion reflects progress in fiscal discipline, reduced inflation, and strengthened external buffers, and Ghana will now move into a 36-month Non-Bailout Policy Coordinating Instrument with the IMF.
The NPP Minority in Parliament argues that Ghana's reported economic gains ahead of the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review are largely due to reduced government spending rather than genuine improvement, noting that revenue fell short of revised targets by about 4.7 per cent while capital expenditure was about 41 per cent below target in the first quarter of 2026.
Dr Gideon Boako, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Finance Committee, has questioned government's resumed borrowing less than a year after exiting the IMF programme, arguing the country should have prioritised domestic revenue mobilisation to finance critical investments instead.
Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Finance Committee Dr Gideon Boako says persistent revenue shortfalls are compelling the government to borrow to finance critical national programmes, including education. He cited Q1 2026 fiscal data showing shortfalls across multiple revenue sources—VAT 6% below target, NHIS Levy and GETFund each 29.9% below, crude oil 37% below, excise 23% below, and import duties 14% below—arguing that when revenue cannot cover essential expenditure, government must resort to borrowing.
Dr Gideon Boako, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Finance Committee, says weak revenue performance forced government to reduce expenditure by 29% in the first quarter of 2026, when revenue fell short by 4.5%, and urges improved revenue mobilisation to fund development without additional borrowing.
The Finance Ministry disclosed that $4.2 million transferred from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project for Covid-19 expenditure under the Akufo-Addo administration remains unretired. Technical Advisor Frederick Amissah said there had been no delays in GARID fund releases, though nearly half of the $137 million drawn down was redirected to Covid-19 spending.
Akosua Manu, advisor to the 2028 NPP flagbearer, has accused the NDC government of prioritizing fiscal figures over implementing flood mitigation projects through the GARID scheme, despite funding being available. According to World Bank reports cited by Manu, the Finance Ministry's fiscal controls delayed the project despite available resources for drainage and flood prevention works.
Sagnarigu MP Atta Issah defended the government's handling of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project, attributing implementation delays to fiscal constraints and expenditure controls imposed across government sectors rather than project abandonment. He argued that the slowdown reflects broader efforts to restore fiscal discipline and stabilise the economy, not a lack of commitment to the World Bank-funded programme.
The Finance Ministry argues that Ghana's strongest national asset is the health and productivity of its people, not currency or natural resources. Dr Theo Acheampong, a technical advisor at the ministry, said government views healthcare as essential economic infrastructure that expands access to services, improves workforce productivity, and drives national development.
Dr. Stephen Lartey, an economist with more than 15 years of experience in economic research, financial-sector leadership and policy analysis, has been appointed Technical Adviser to the Minister for Finance. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex and is known for his evidence-based commentary on Ghana's economy, public finances and fiscal policy.
President John Mahama has unveiled the Ghana National Research Fund to accelerate Ghana's development as a knowledge-driven, innovation-led economy, with an initial GH¢100 million seed fund for 2026 to support competitive research grants, doctoral and postdoctoral programmes, and strategic innovation initiatives aligned with national priorities.
The Finance Ministry has inaugurated a nine-member Governing Board for the Internal Audit Agency to strengthen public financial management and reduce audit infractions in the public sector. The board will oversee reforms including a review of the Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003, and implement measures to enhance compliance, risk management, and value-for-money auditing.
Ghana's government left GH₵24 billion of its first-quarter 2026 budget unspent, spending GH₵65.97 billion of GH₵89.97 billion approved (73.3%), while total revenue and grants reached GH₵57.5 billion against a GH₵60.3 billion target. Capital expenditure suffered the largest cuts, with government spending GH₵7.3 billion of GH₵12.6 billion programmed, particularly in foreign-financed projects where only GH₵0.6 billion of GH₵5.3 billion was spent.
The Finance Ministry reports that revenue from Ghana's consolidated Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy totalled GH¢8.66 billion in 2025, falling short of GH¢22.67 billion in total energy sector obligations and requiring GH¢12.9 billion in government support despite an increase in the levy from 95 pesewas to GH¢1.95 per litre in June.
Customers of collapsed financial institutions have threatened intensified protests if the government does not allocate compensation for their locked-up funds in the July mid-year budget review. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson said government lacks financial resources to settle the claims, prompting the Convener of the Aggrieved Customers of Gold Coast Fund Management to warn that affected customers will increase pressure through demonstrations and other lawful actions if their concerns continue to be ignored.
Ghana's government is preparing to scale renewable energy beyond pilot projects from 2027, focusing on utility-scale solar, wind, battery storage, mini-grids and electric mobility to reduce reliance on thermal generation. The transition comes as the power sector grapples with mounting debt, transmission bottlenecks and grid stability concerns.
Effia MP Isaac Boamah-Nyarko has accused the government of failing to adequately fund ministries and state agencies, stating that several public institutions are unable to operate effectively due to delayed or unreleased funds and slow approval processes at the Finance Ministry.
Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams rejected claims that Finance Ministry delays in fund release caused organisational problems during the African Athletics Championship, saying the ministry had sufficient resources for critical expenses. He also disputed allegations of poor athlete welfare and defective equipment, suggesting the claims lacked evidence.