Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, has revealed that a damning audit report exposing billions of cedis will be released next week.
The Finance Minister revealed that the Audit findings are so shocking that they could overshadow the 2026 Budget.
According to Ato Forson, the audit report is damning and troubling.
He stated, “The one thing that the auditors are certain about is that they have rejected ¢10 billion and said that they don’t pay because the liabilities are recycled”.
Ato Forson disclosed that auditors uncovered Interim Payment Certificates that had been recycled for the state to pay.
He added, “The report will be published next week. It will blow your mind. Let me tell you, it is damning, in fact, troubling.”
“Some of them felt that, oh, as for that one, it’s been processed and it’s legitimate,” he said. “I said, stop it. My instinct told me, ‘Stop it’, let’s subject it to audit.”
“You know how much was there? GH¢13 billion. That GH¢13 billion, the Auditor General has validated GH¢12 billion, the GH¢1 billion left, the Auditor General said, don’t pay, they are fictitious. So somebody just concocted.”
He highlighted the certificates. Passed through all the required processes, “only waiting at the Auditor General’s office, at the Controller and Accountant General’s office, and Bank of Ghana, just waiting for cash for payment. If not that audit, Ghana would have lost that one.”
“The names are there. The audit will be out, and so they will publish not only their names, but the companies and all those behind it.”
Also, the Minister of Finance has boldly stated that President John Dramani Mahama appointed him to get the job done and not to win popularity contests in ministries, departments, or agencies.
According to Ato Forson, his priority is to serve the masses and not to seek popularity.
He made these remarks while explaining his decision to cut non-essential spending like foreign travel, workshops, and luxury procurements.
Ato Forson further asserted that as finance minister, if one is popular among his colleagues, then there is something wrong.
Dr Ato Forson stated, “If, as a finance minister, you are too popular, then there’s something wrong with it. Too popular within the group that you are talking about, then you are failing”.
“I want to be popular with the people of Ghana. Whatever I have to do to serve their needs and be able to save, to pay for school feeding, to pay for free SHS, to be able to put nurses in hospitals, to build hospitals, to give maternal care. Instead of somebody travelling, I will cut that expenditure and give it to someone who needs dialysis,” he indicated.
Ato Forson further revealed that President John Mahama read the entire 2026 Budget cover to cover, highlighting that the budget has the full backing of the president.
“The President read this budget cover to cover… This is his document, not my document. I read on his behalf… to Parliament and the people of Ghana,” he added.