Gov’t to Clarify Road Contractor Payments in Mid-Year Budget Review – Deputy Finance Minister
Accra, July 2, 2025 — Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has disclosed that the upcoming mid-year budget review will provide comprehensive clarity on arrears owed to road contractors, following sector-wide concerns over delayed payments.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show, Mr. Nyarko stated that a full audit of contractor arrears has been conducted by the Auditor-General in collaboration with leading accounting firms, with findings showing that some contractor claims were disallowed.
“The Auditor-General and the top accounting firms that did the auditing of the arrears have already brought some reports that have indicated that some of the amounts are being disallowed,” Mr. Nyarko explained.
He confirmed that Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson will present the audited figures and a payment plan as part of the mid-year budget review to Parliament.
GHS 13 Billion Earmarked for Arrears in 2025
The Deputy Minister announced that the government has already allocated GHS 13 billion for arrears clearance in the 2025 fiscal year, with plans to continue the payments into 2026.
“Already, we have made plans for Gh¢13 billion, which we are religiously pursuing this year. In next year’s budget, we will announce another amount,” he said.
Commitment to Fiscal Discipline
Mr. Nyarko stressed that the current administration is focused on preventing arrears build-up by strengthening commitment authorization processes and ensuring that spending does not exceed budgetary limits.
“That is why we are managing the financing so well that we do not have arrears build-up,” he stated.
Swipe at Previous NPP Government
The Deputy Minister criticized the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s financial management style, blaming it for the country’s debt overhang and contractor payment crisis.
“If we go the way they [NPP] did, we will be clearing the arrears, and we will be building up more arrears. That is not how to manage an economy,” Mr. Nyarko added.
The mid-year budget review is expected to outline not only the validated amounts owed to contractors but also a timeline for disbursement, as part of broader government efforts to restore confidence in the construction sector and stabilize public finances.
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