Frederick Amissah, the Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, has disclosed that the Akufo-Addo government redirected $65 million from a World Bank loan intended for flood protection under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project to finance COVID-19 activities.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, July 6, 2026, Frederick Amissah explained that nearly half of the $137 million already drawn down from the $350 million GARID facility was channelled into pandemic-related spending.
He also rejected the claims that delayed disbursements slowed GARID’s progress, stressing that funds were released on time.
Frederick Amissah disclosed that the GARID is one of several World Bank-financed projects requiring strict oversight, as repayment ultimately falls on Ghanaian taxpayers.
According to him, since the Mahama administration assumed office in 2025, it uncovered multiple cases of project funds being misapplied.
He detailed that the Ghana Economic Transformation (GET) Project, close to GH¢1 billion, was reportedly spent on travel in 2024 alone.
Frederick Amissah, breaking down the figures, stated that of the $65 million diverted for pandemic response, $60.8 million has since been retired, leaving about $4.2 million outstanding.
His comments follow the World Bank, which disclosed that Ghana’s Finance Ministry significantly delayed implementation of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, with fiscal controls introduced.
The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project is one of the country’s flagship programmes aimed at tackling chronic flooding in the capital.
In the World Bank implementation update released in May 2026, the Bank downgraded the project’s implementation performance to “Moderately Unsatisfactory”, mentioning persistent funding constraints despite the project remaining fully financed.
“The implementation of GARID has been significantly constrained by fiscal measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance during 2025,” the report said.
The $350 million GARID Project is aimed at strengthening Ghana’s flood risk management, improving solid waste management and enhancing urban resilience across selected metropolitan and municipal assemblies within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.
It covers five major components, including drainage and flood risk infrastructure, solid waste management, urban upgrading, institutional coordination, project management and emergency response.
According to the World Bank, progress on the ground has lagged well behind planning.
Part of a news article sighted by JoyNews stated, “It noted that the flood early warning system is fully operational and that solid waste collection from underserved communities has exceeded annual targets, although delays persist across several major civil works.
However, no public flood warning was issued ahead of the June 29 floods, prompting questions about the role the operational early warning system played during the disaster.
Although detailed engineering designs have been completed for most approved civil works, with the exception of the Ayidan landfill, construction has proceeded slowly.
Several contractors remain behind schedule, while decisions on terminating or restructuring underperforming contracts have yet to be taken.
The Bank attributes much of the slowdown to financing restrictions imposed during 2025”.
The World Bank further disclosed that in February 2026, a withdrawal application of $10.5 million was processed, the first project withdrawal since November 2023.
“Following the February 2026 implementation support mission, the MoF initiated corrective actions, including the processing of a withdrawal application of $10.5 million, the first since November 2023.”
Also, reports suggest the government also submitted a formal restructuring request to allow funds to be reallocated across expenditure categories. However, the Bank says those measures have only partially eased the liquidity constraints.
“These actions have partially eased liquidity constraints but have not fully addressed the financing gap affecting works implementation.”
The World Bank findings have taken on added significance following the devastating floods of June 29, which killed at least 12 people and renewed attention on Accra’s longstanding drainage and flood management challenges.
In Pictures 📸
— GHnow (@ghnow_) July 7, 2026
The Flood Mitigation Task Force says encroachment has significantly reduced the size of the Tesa Dam near East Legon Boundary Road. Illegal structures, retention walls, and a nearby slum have been marked for demolition over flooding, health, and sanitation… pic.twitter.com/YbTP0iS4pv
