The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament is calling for major changes in how the government manages public money.
The committee wants the government to publish all unpaid debts, pending claims, and financial commitments every year to improve transparency and control government spending better.
This call follows the decision by the Auditor-General to reject GH¢8.1 billion worth of payment claims made by different ministries, departments, and agencies for the 2024 financial year.
The rejected claims were found to have several problems, including missing documents, fake invoices, repeated claims, and false store receipts.
Speaking at the end of the Committee’s review of the 2024 Auditor-General’s reports, the Chairperson of the PAC, Abena Osei Asare, said it is very important for the government to be more open about its financial obligations.
According to her, creating a proper system to publicly disclose these debts and commitments every year would improve accountability and help prevent repeated financial problems.
“The committee wishes to strongly emphasise that the government must institutionalise the annual publication of all arrears, outstanding claims and commitments.
“Transparency in this area is critical. Regular disclosure will improve fiscal credibility, strengthen expenditure control, and reduce the need for recurring special audits of this nature,” she stated.
The Committee believes that if the government does not consistently publish this information, weak reporting systems will continue to leave public funds vulnerable to misuse and inefficiency.
