Auditor-General Publishes Interim List of Rejected and Pending Government Payment Claims

The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, has released an interim list of rejected and pending claims, commitments, and Bank Transfer Advices (BTAs) submitted by the Ministry of Finance for verification—marking a key step toward strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public finances.

According to the Auditor-General’s Office, the Ministry of Finance had earlier submitted all outstanding commitments, claims, and BTAs as of December 31, 2024, for audit before any payments were processed. These claims span various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and involve works executed and services rendered under multiple government projects nationwide.

The verification exercise—conducted between May and October 2025—was carried out in collaboration with global accounting firms PwC and EY. The process included extensive engagements with contractors, suppliers, and MDAs to assess the legitimacy and authenticity of each claim.

According to Mr. Akuamoah Asiedu, the newly published list captures arrears and commitments that have either been rejected or remain pending further justification. He emphasised that the move is part of a wider public financial management reform aimed at sanitising government arrears and reducing fiscal exposure to unverified liabilities.

“This verification process ensures that only legitimate claims are honoured by the state,” the Auditor-General noted. “Any arrears that remain unverified after this process will be permanently removed from the government’s financial records.”

The Auditor-General has further invited all affected entities to contest or justify their claims by submitting supporting documents through their respective MDAs to the Ghana Audit Service for final validation.

This verification window remains open until 7th November 2025, after which all rejected or unverified claims will be permanently expunged from the government’s arrears and commitments register.

Observers say the exercise underscores Ghana’s growing commitment to fiscal discipline, following years of arrears accumulation that have strained public expenditure and debt management. Financial governance experts have welcomed the audit as a “decisive test” of accountability in government payment processes.

By collaborating with top global audit firms and maintaining transparency through public disclosure, the Auditor-General’s office aims to restore confidence in the credibility of government financial reporting and strengthen oversight mechanisms across the public sector.

Source: Accra Business News