The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has revealed that an independent audit is underway to validate certificates submitted by contractors owed by government.

He said the move forms part of efforts to establish the authenticity of claims before payments are made.

According to him, the Road Maintenance Trust Fund, which replaces the old road fund, has been inaugurated at a time the sector is experiencing significant financial distress.

Speaking at the inauguration of the governing board of the Road Maintenance Trust Fund, the minister disclosed that certificates pending payment exceed GH¢8 billion, while accruals available for 2025 are projected to be no more than 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.

He explained that the audit is necessary to ensure that only legitimate claims are honoured.

He noted that previous arrangements allowed contractors who secured judgments in court to drain the fund, leaving other districts and contractors 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 emphasised that the restructured fund strengthens accountability and guarantees equitable distribution of maintenance resources across all constituencies.

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

The minister assured contractors that government is 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,” he said.