Ghana Launches Audit Amid GH¢8bn Road Fund Debt Crisis

Government has initiated an independent audit of payment certificates submitted by road contractors to validate claims before disbursement, Roads and Highways Minister Governs Kwame Agbodza has revealed.

The move, according to the Minister, is to ensure that only legitimate debts are settled, particularly as the newly inaugurated Road Maintenance Trust Fund faces significant financial constraints.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Fund’s governing board, Mr. Agbodza disclosed that outstanding certificates awaiting payment currently exceed GH₵8 billion, while projected accruals for 2025 are estimated at around GH₵2.5 billion.

“As of this morning, certificates raised to be retired on the back of this fund is in excess of eight billion. The accruals that may be available for 2025 may be just above two point five billion or around two billion,” he stated.

The audit has become necessary, the Minister explained, to prevent a recurrence of past situations where contractors who obtained court judgments were able to deplete the fund, leaving other deserving contractors and districts without resources.

“An independent audit is currently ongoing to validate the certificates… hopefully this week, the report will be out and the first batch of payments will be made,” he added.

Mr. Agbodza emphasized that the restructuring of the Road Maintenance Trust Fund is intended to enhance accountability and ensure a more equitable distribution of road maintenance funds across all constituencies in Ghana.

“The new framework ensures that every constituency in Ghana will see an amount of money allocated for minimum road maintenance activity, eliminating past disparities,” he said.

He assured contractors that the government remains committed to gradually clearing the outstanding debt. “Government is working to make sure that contractors we owe are paid… we hope to retire more of the eight billion when we enter the new year,” the Minister stated.

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