The Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has reiterated the urgent need to address fiscal indiscipline, particularly among public institutions that continue to award contracts without first securing the legally mandated commencement certificates.

According to the Minister, such practices have resulted in serious inefficiencies and shortfalls within the national budget.

To combat this trend, Dr Forson disclosed that a key amendment to the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act now grants the Ministry of Finance the authority to issue commencement authorisations directly.

This significant shift in fiscal oversight is designed to enhance control and accountability over public expenditure.

He announced further that a dedicated Compliance Desk will be established within the Ministry to ensure rigorous enforcement of the newly upgraded PFM Act, 2025.

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

The engagement followed the successful conclusion of the National Economic Dialogue, which received strong backing from the World Bank.

Dr Forson noted that the Compliance Desk will actively monitor ministries, departments, and covered entities to verify their adherence to the revised financial regulations.

A key feature of the Compliance Desk will be the introduction of a Compliance League Table—an index that will publicly rank institutions based on their compliance levels.

This initiative, the Minister said, is intended to promote transparency and encourage improved financial discipline across the public sector. Persistent failure to comply with the law will attract sanctions, reinforcing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on fiscal mismanagement.

Vice President Diagana congratulated Dr Forson on his recent appointment and commended Ghana’s strides in strengthening its public financial systems.

He reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s development efforts, describing the nation as a model of stability and reform in the region.

The Compliance Desk is expected to commence operations in the coming weeks as part of broader reforms aimed at building a more disciplined and prosperous Ghana.