Ato Forson’s Massive Win for the Public Purse
By Nelson Ayivor
In a jaw-dropping crackdown on fiscal foul play, Ghana’s government has slashed GHS 10.4 billion in bogus arrears through a razor-sharp audit, saving taxpayers a fortune and slamming the door on the old regime’s wasteful chaos, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson revealed with fire in Parliament on November 13.
Diving into the 2026 Budget bombshell, Forson exposed how the Auditor-General teamed with global heavyweights PwC and EY to dissect a staggering GHS 68.8 billion arrears mountain inherited on Mahama’s watch GHS 50.5 billion in unpaid invoices and IPCs, plus GHS 18.3 billion in dodgy BTAs.
“Mr. Speaker, this special audit covered all verified arrears as at end-2024,” he thundered, fulfilling the vow for ironclad transparency and value-for-money mastery.
The verdict? A clean sweep: GHS 47.8 billion stamped legit, but GHS 10.4 billion booted to the curb for pure fraud think missing docs, duplicate IPCs, puffed-up invoices, fake receipts, and bills for zero work done.
Shockingly, GHS 1 billion in ready-to-pay BTAs got axed “Without this audit, those funds would have been disbursed,” Forson warned, spotlighting the vigilance that’s now the government’s shield. Another GHS 2 billion shifted to commitments, with GHS 8.6 billion still under the microscope for sketchy proofs and no-show contracts.
“These claims may exist in part, but further evidence is required,” he added no mercy for the murky.
“This audit is both troubling and damning,” Forson blasted, unmasking deep rot in finance and contracts from yesteryears. But the silver lining? It’s a turbo-boost for accountability, tighter controls, and unshakeable fiscal discipline.
“We’ve saved billions, restored trust, and locked in transparency,” he declared, already scrubbing that GHS 10.36 billion from the 2024 fiscal books to keep reporting rock-solid and investor eyes wide open.
Governance watchdogs are roaring approval, slamming past procurement pitfalls, cronyism, and shadowy deals that bloated the backlog. Now, with the Auditor-General’s full report incoming, spotlights will blaze on guilty ministries and contractors expect accountability fireworks.
Forson wrapped with steel: under Mahama, every cedi counts, reforms are rolling, and Ghana’s financial fortress is unbreakable. Taxpayers, rejoice – the era of leaks is over, and the savings are just the start of the boom.