Ghana’s Ministry of Finance is set to establish a dedicated Compliance Desk aimed at ensuring strict adherence to the newly revised Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, 2025.

This move, announced by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, underscores the government’s renewed commitment to fiscal discipline and improved oversight across public institutions.

Dr Forson highlighted that widespread breaches of financial regulations—particularly the practice of awarding contracts without securing commencement certificates—have contributed to inefficiencies and significant budgetary gaps. He described the situation as deeply troubling and in urgent need of reform.

In response, the upgraded PFM Act now empowers the Ministry to directly issue commencement authorisations, strengthening its ability to monitor and control public expenditure.

The Minister made the announcement during a meeting with the World Bank Africa delegation, led by Vice President Ousmane Diagana.

He noted that the creation of the Compliance Desk would serve not only as an enforcement mechanism but also as a transparency tool for public financial management.

The desk will be responsible for monitoring compliance and intervening when institutions fail to follow laid-down financial procedures.

In addition to its monitoring role, the Compliance Desk will introduce a Compliance League Table, ranking institutions based on their level of adherence to the financial rules.

This table, to be made public, is expected to foster competition and accountability among covered entities. It will serve as a performance tracker for state institutions, bringing visibility to both exemplary and poor financial governance.

Dr Forson also cautioned that repeat offenders would face sanctions, reinforcing the seriousness of the government’s efforts to curb fiscal indiscipline.

“We are determined to ensure that every programme we implement delivers maximum efficiency and impact,” he stated. “This is how we build a disciplined and prosperous Ghana.”