Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson on Thursday presented the 2026 Statement of Budget and Economic Policy to Parliament, using the platform to reveal the “troubling and damning” findings of a special independent audit into the government’s outstanding arrears and payables.
The minister disclosed that an exhaustive audit of inherited outstanding liabilities, which totalled a staggering GH¢68.8 billion at the time the new government assumed office, resulted in the rejection of GH¢10.4 billion in claims due to pervasive irregularities.
The original payable figure comprised GH¢50.5 billion in unpaid invoices and interim payment certificates (IPCs), along with GH¢18.3 billion in outstanding Bank Transfer Advices (BTAs).
In a bid to safeguard the public purse, the government commissioned the Auditor-General, in partnership with external firms PwC and EY, to conduct a comprehensive validation of all verified arrears and commitments up to the end of 2024. The core objective was to establish the legitimacy of these financial claims and identify areas of fiscal risk.
The findings, now finalised and pending submission to Parliament, indicate that of the initial GH¢68.8 billion submitted for review, only GH¢47.8 billion was validated as legitimate claims.
The rejected GH¢10.4 billion was disqualified based on a range of serious issues, including unsupported documentation, duplicate and recycled IPCs, inflated invoices, falsified store receipts, and clear instances of no work having been done.
Dr Forson noted that GH¢1 billion of the rejected amount comprised BTAs that had been approved and were ready for immediate disbursement.
Furthermore, the audit led to the reclassification of GH¢2 billion from immediate claims and BTAs into future commitments.
The minister added that a significant balance of GH¢8.6 billion remains under review. These claims require further validation due to inadequate documentation, missing third-party confirmations, and a lack of supporting contracts.
Dr Forson stressed that these potential obligations require additional evidence before they can be officially recognised as state liabilities.
