BudgIT Ghana and Revenue Mobilisation Africa (RMA) have called for urgent reforms and greater transparency in Ghana’s public financial management system following revelations from the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) investigations into alleged large-scale corruption at the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).
The two civil society organisations, both known for their advocacy on fiscal accountability and tax justice, described the findings as “alarming” and reflective of “systemic abuse of public resources.”
According to a briefing by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, the NSS was found to have listed over 81,000 ghost names between 2018 and 2024, resulting in the unlawful diversion of more than GH¢548 million in public funds. Former senior officials of the Scheme are facing multiple charges, including money laundering, causing financial loss, and abuse of office.
At NAFCO, investigators uncovered the unlawful diversion of GH¢78.2 million meant for national food programmes and buffer-stock maintenance. The Attorney General’s office reported that senior administrators and external collaborators allegedly orchestrated the misappropriation of funds intended for school feeding and food security initiatives.
Reacting to the disclosures, Jennifer A. Moffatt, Country Manager for BudgIT Ghana, said the incidents revealed deep-rooted institutional weaknesses.
“These cases don’t represent isolated errors. They expose institutional vulnerabilities in our budget-execution systems and demonstrate that access to data alone is insufficient when citizens cannot trace how funds move, who is accountable, or whether any action follows,” she stated.
Geoffrey Kabutey Ocansey, Executive Director of Revenue Mobilisation Africa, urged the government to take immediate corrective action.
“These revelations should not only shock us; they should compel structural action. It is time to fix the loopholes that make revenue leakages possible and prioritise reforms that safeguard the public purse, protect taxpayer funds, and restore citizens’ trust in fiscal governance,” he said.
In a joint statement, BudgIT Ghana and RMA proposed five key measures to strengthen transparency and accountability:
Immediate publication of the full ORAL dossier, including names of implicated individuals and timelines for asset recovery.
Creation of public-facing dashboards for high-risk agencies such as the NSS and NAFCO to allow citizens to monitor budget allocations and project execution in real time.
Strengthening citizen-monitoring platforms such as Tracka to link community-level data to oversight mechanisms.
Regular prosecution updates and asset-return disclosures to demonstrate recovery and reinvestment of looted funds.
Reinforced institutional safeguards under the Public Financial Management Act (Act 921) and procurement laws, focusing on internal audits and public feedback systems.
The organisations reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with government, civil society, and citizens to promote fiscal discipline and build “a governance culture that protects every cedi collected and spent in the name of the people.”
