Stop Payments Before They Happen — Deputy Finance Minister Charges Internal Auditors as GH¢8.1bn Claims Rejected

Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has charged internal auditors to strengthen controls to stop improper payments before they occur, warning that weak financial systems continue to drain scarce public resources.

Speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Internal Auditors Ghana on behalf of Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Mr Ampem said the government’s New Economy agenda cannot be built on old habits of waste.

“We cannot mobilise scarce resources for development on one hand and allow them to leak through weak financial controls on the other,” he said. “We cannot build a New Economy with old habits of waste, weak controls and avoidable financial losses.”

Mr Ampem also cited the audit of the government’s legacy arrears and payables, where GH¢8.1 billion out of GH¢68.7 billion in claims submitted for verification was rejected for inadequate documentation, duplicate claims, falsified receipts and work not done.

“The lesson is that it is better to stop an improper payment before it is paid than to spend years trying to recover it,” he stressed.

He urged internal auditors to move from post-mortem reviews to preventive controls, with greater scrutiny of procurement, payroll and major public investments, and to leverage data analytics and digital tools.

He further called on heads of institutions to protect the independence of internal auditors and act promptly on audit recommendations.

“The success of the New Economy will depend not only on the resources mobilised but also on how effectively they are safeguarded and utilised,” he added.

He disclosed that financial irregularities across public institutions dropped from GH¢20.72 billion in 2024 to GH¢7.69 billion in 2025, a 62.9% reduction, according to the 2025 Auditor-General’s reports.

While welcoming the progress, he cautioned that the fight is far from over.

“A 62.9 per cent reduction is progress. GH¢7.69 billion in remaining irregularities is a reminder that the job is far from finished,” he noted.

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