The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that GH¢45.4 billion in contractor and supplier claims have been validated for payment following a comprehensive audit of government liabilities. The exercise reviewed a total of GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted by contractors and suppliers seeking settlement from the state.
The verification process forms part of the government’s efforts to clean up the national payables system and ensure that only legitimate debts are honored. It was carried out by the Ghana Audit Service in collaboration with international auditing firms EY and PwC.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem delivered a statement on behalf of Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, explaining that the audit examined a wide range of financial documents. These included unpaid Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs), invoices, and Bank Transfer Advices (BTAs), all of which were carefully scrutinized to determine their validity.
According to the results of the exercise, GH¢45.4 billion of the claims were verified as legitimate and approved for payment. However, the audit also revealed that GH¢8.1 billion in claims could not be accepted after investigators discovered inflated figures, duplicate submissions, and falsified documentation. Additionally, claims amounting to GH¢13.3 billion remain under review because auditors have not yet received adequate third-party confirmation or the necessary contractual documents to validate them.
Beyond the numbers, the audit uncovered troubling cases of financial irregularities within some government programmes. One of the most notable examples was linked to the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative, where auditors identified a claim of GH¢89.4 million for interest subsidies that turned out to be entirely fictitious. Investigations showed that five commercial banks listed in the claim denied being owed any such funds.
Another irregularity involved a GH¢10.5 million payment that had been associated with a so-called “Buffer Account,” which auditors later discovered did not correspond with any verified banking records. The review also detected GH¢4.4 billion in recycled invoices that had already been settled between 2020 and 2024 but were submitted again as outstanding claims.
The audit further revealed discrepancies in the education sector, where GH¢160 million claimed as teacher trainee arrears was found to have no basis after verification from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
Government officials say the exercise represents a major step toward strengthening accountability in public financial management. By validating legitimate claims and rejecting fraudulent ones, the Ministry of Finance believes the process will help restore confidence in the government’s payment systems while protecting the country’s limited financial resources.
