Akufo-Addo’s gov’t awarded GH¢195bn in contracts to MDAs – Ato Forson

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) under the former Akufo-Addo administration awarded contracts totaling over GH¢195 billion, raising serious fiscal concerns.

Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV on Wednesday, March 12, a day after presenting the 2025 Budget, Dr. Forson expressed alarm at the scale of commitments made, prompting him to suspend payments pending further clarification from the MDAs involved.

According to him, multiple payment requests had already been submitted to the Ministry of Finance, including:

• GH¢18.2 billion in outstanding certificates awaiting processing at the Finance Ministry.
• GH¢49.5 billion in unprocessed certificates at the Controller and Accountant General’s office.
• “I was alarmed. And they expect the government to pay them,” Dr. Forson stated.

His revelation raises serious concerns about the fiscal commitments of the previous administration and their potential impact on Ghana’s economic stability.