Value for Money Office

Value for Money Office — institution established to scrutinize public expenditure and government contracts, launching January 2027.

2026-05-112026-10-30

News reports

Order a long-term news report on Value for Money Office

Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

May 2026
12 MayJoy Online
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Finance Minister has hailed President John Dramani Mahama for graciously assenting the Value for Money Office Bill. …
Value for Money Office to begin operation in January 2027 – Finance Minister
11 MayJoy Online
… Dr Forson explained that the law establishes a dedicated Value for Money Office, which will be responsible for assessing government projects and evaluating whether contracts offer reasonable value before they are approved and executed. …
New value for money law to tackle inflated contract costs – Finance Minister
11 MayJoy Online
President John Dramani Mahama has assented to the Value for Money Office Bill, marking a major step in the government’s efforts to curb inflated public sector contracts and strengthen accountability in public spending. …
President Mahama signs Value for Money Office bill into law to curb inflated government contracts

Politics

Auditor-General pledges surcharges, launches AI audit tracker

The News

Dr Pamela Graham, Ghana's Auditor-General, vowed to fully exercise constitutional powers of disallowance and surcharge against unlawful expenditure. She announced the Ghana Audit Service will deploy an Audit Recommendations Tracker from October 2026 to publicly monitor audit recommendation implementation and recovery progress, noting that GH¢280.5 million in surcharges remained outstanding as of February 2026.

1 October 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 1 October

Auditor-General pledges surcharges, launches AI audit tracker
Dr Pamela Graham, Ghana's Auditor-General, vowed to fully exercise constitutional powers of disallowance and surcharge against unlawful expenditure. She announced the Ghana Audit Service will deploy an Audit Recommendations Tracker from October 2026 to publicly monitor audit recommendation implementation and recovery progress, noting that GH¢280.5 million in surcharges remained outstanding as of February 2026.
1 October 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 30 September

Audit Service urged to enforce surcharges, modernize systems
Ghana's Audit Service has been urged to fully enforce disallowance and surcharge powers against financial offenders and modernize operations through digital and AI-enabled systems. According to figures from Auditor-General reports cited by Presidential Advisor Francis Dodoo, the country lost GH¢100 billion over the past six years through financial irregularities.
30 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 17 September

Accra-Kumasi Expressway first project scrutinized by Value for Money Office
The Finance Minister said the Value for Money Office will scrutinise the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project to ensure proper use of public funds and value delivery to taxpayers. He assured that all required construction funding would be available by December 31, 2026.
17 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 14 September

PPI congratulates new Value for Money Office director
The Progressive Policy Institute Ghana has congratulated Dr Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba on his appointment as Acting Director-General of the Value for Money Office, an institution established to strengthen scrutiny of public expenditure. PPI notes that Dr Aziz-Bamba's background as a Harvard-trained lawyer and former University of Ghana law lecturer positions him well for the role, and calls for the office to apply consistent standards across all political parties and institutions.
14 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 9 September

President appoints Dr. Aziz-Bamba as acting Value for Money director
President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Dr. Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba, a Harvard-trained lawyer and former Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, as Acting Director-General of the Value for Money Office, pending constitutionally required confirmation. The Office is mandated to scrutinise public spending and ensure expenditure serves the public good.
9 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Tuesday 8 September

Mahama appoints Dr Aziz-Bamba as acting Value for Money chief
President John Mahama has appointed Dr Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba as Acting Director-General of the Value for Money Office, in accordance with the 1992 Constitution and the Value for Money Office Act, 2026. Dr Aziz-Bamba, a Harvard-trained lawyer and former Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, will serve pending receipt of constitutionally required advice from the Governing Board.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 23 July

Finance Minister credits spending controls with economic recovery
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson says the government's fiscal correction measures have reduced public expenditure and placed public debt on a sustainable path. Primary expenditure declined from 18.7 per cent of GDP in 2024 to 13.2 per cent in 2025, while the primary balance improved from a deficit of 2.9 per cent to a surplus of 2.5 per cent in 2025.
23 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Government cuts spending, 2024 deficit shifts to 2025 surplus
The Finance Minister told Parliament that Ghana's fiscal correction programme reduced primary expenditure from 18.7% of GDP in 2024 to 13.2% in 2025, moving the primary balance from a 2.9% deficit in 2024 to a 2.5% surplus in 2025. Parliament also amended the Public Financial Management Act to institutionalize a binding fiscal rule requiring a minimum 1.5% primary surplus annually and a 45% debt-to-GDP ceiling by 2034.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 25 June

VFM Act needs clear institutional process map to work
An analysis argues that while Ghana's new Value for Money Office Act addresses overpriced government contracts (estimated to cost USD 3 billion annually), the reform risks failing without a clear institutional process architecture defining when and with what authority each actor operates alongside existing procurement laws.
25 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Tuesday 12 May

Opposition official commends Value for Money Office for public spending oversight
Hopeson Adorye, Director of Field Operations for the United Party, has praised the government's establishment of the Value for Money Office as a necessary step to strengthen accountability and reduce financial irregularities in public spending, though he questioned why the Auditor-General continues to report annual infractions despite existing procurement laws.
12 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Value for Money Office to launch January 2027
President Mahama has assented to the Value for Money Office Bill, which aims to address inflated contracts, abandoned projects, cost overruns, and wasteful public expenditure. The Finance Minister said all single source procurement will have to go through the Office, which will begin operations in January 2027.
12 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 11 May

Value for Money law aims to cut inflated public contract costs
Ghana's Finance Minister says a newly enacted Value for Money law will reduce inflated public sector contract costs and strengthen accountability in government spending through a dedicated Value for Money Office that will assess projects before approval, with full implementation beginning January 2027.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →
President Mahama signs Value for Money Office bill into law
President John Dramani Mahama has assented to the Value for Money Office Bill to curb inflated public sector contracts and strengthen accountability in public spending. Under the new law, all single-source procurement arrangements will be subjected to scrutiny by the proposed Value for Money Office to ensure the country obtains value for public funds spent.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →