The latest report from the Auditor-General of Ghana has uncovered significant discrepancies in the financial records of several government institutions, with claims totalling GH¢161.98 million found to have been overstated.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, the Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, disclosed that the inflated figures emerged during the audit verification process when confirmation responses from relevant institutions were reviewed. According to him, the discrepancies involved multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), raising concerns about financial management practices within the public sector.
Details from the audit indicate that the Department of Urban Roads recorded the highest discrepancy, overstating claims by GH¢57.01 million. The Ministry of Transport followed with GH¢39.92 million, while the Department of Feeder Roads accounted for GH¢22.46 million.
Other institutions cited in the report include the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which overstated claims by GH¢20.08 million, the Ghana Highways Authority with GH¢17.50 million, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration with GH¢2.68 million.
Mr Ampem Nyarko noted that the audit findings highlight persistent weaknesses in public financial administration and the need for stronger systems to prevent irregularities. The discrepancies, he said, reinforce the importance of tightening oversight mechanisms to ensure accountability in the management of state resources.
In response to the revelations, the Finance Ministry has escalated the matter to the Attorney-General’s Department for possible legal action against individuals found to be responsible.
The referral forms part of what the ministry describes as a broader effort to address financial mismanagement within the public sector.
“The Mahama administration refuses to accept this rotten system; in fact, we refuse to normalise waste. And we refuse to ask the Ghanaian people to pay for fraud,” Mr Ampem Nyarko told a hushed Parliament.
The ministry warned that officials implicated in the irregularities will face consequences regardless of their position within the public service.
“Rank will no longer provide immunity,” the statement stressed, adding that whether senior directors or junior officers, anyone found to have colluded with contractors or falsified records will face the full rigour of the law.
Government officials say the move signals a firm commitment by the administration of John Dramani Mahama to strengthen accountability and reform how public funds are managed. According to the Finance Ministry, the steps being taken represent a decisive effort to reset financial governance and restore public confidence in the handling of the country’s resources.
