Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration committed over GHC195 billion in contract awards.

Appearing on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV on Wednesday, March 12—one day after presenting the 2025 Budget Dr. Forson explained that the sheer magnitude of these financial commitments forced him to put a hold on payments.

He noted that numerous payment requests had been submitted, leading him to demand further clarification from the MDAs before any disbursement.

Providing a breakdown, he stated that more than GHC195 billion in contracts had been awarded, with additional outstanding payment certificates still in the pipeline.

Of these, GHC18.2 billion had already been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for processing by the Controller and Accountant General, while another GHC49.5 or GHC49.6 billion remained unprocessed at the Accountant General’s office.

“MDAs had awarded contracts in excess of GHC195 billion. Then, aside from that, the MDAs had generated certificates yet to be paid. Those that went to the Ministry of Finance and were being processed to the Controller and Accountant General amounted to GHC18.2 billion.

“Another GHC49.5 or GHC49.6 billion were certificates yet to be processed at the Accountant General’s office for payment. So, I was alarmed. And they expect the government to pay them,” he stated.

His revelation raises significant concerns about the financial obligations inherited from the previous administration and their potential impact on Ghana’s economic stability.