Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson says a damning audit report exposing billions of cedis in questionable claims is set for release next week.

He warned that the findings are so shocking they could overshadow the 2026 Budget he presented to Parliament on Thursday.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Dr Forson said auditors have already flagged staggering irregularities.

“The one thing that the auditors are certain about is that they have rejected ¢10 billion and said that they don’t pay because the liabilities are recycled,” he said.

He added that auditors uncovered Interim Payment Certificates that had been “recycled for the state to pay,” falsified store receipts advice, and claims that were simply “fictitious.”

According to him, “the report will be published next week. It will blow your mind. Let me tell you, it is damning, in fact, troubling.”

Dr Forson said he halted all payments when he assumed office, even those already queued at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and the Bank of Ghana.

“Some of them felt that, oh, as for that one, it’s been processed and it’s legitimate,” he said. “I said, stop it. My instinct told me, 'Stop it', let’s subject it to audit.”

His instinct, he revealed, saved the country from a major loss. “You know how much was there? GH¢13 billion. That GH¢13 billion, the Auditor General has validated GH¢12 billion, the GH¢1 billion left, the Auditor General said, don’t pay, they are fictitious. So somebody just concocted.”

He stressed that these invoices and certificates had already passed through all the required processes and were “only waiting at the Auditor General’s office, at the Controller and Accountant General’s office, and Bank of Ghana, just waiting for cash for payment. If not that audit, Ghana would have lost that one.”

Dr Forson said those responsible will be named. “The names are there. The audit will be out, and so they will publish not only their names, but the companies and all those behind it.”

He added that he decided to let the budget presentation go ahead before the report drops because he “did not want it to overshadow the excellent policies in the budget.”

He said the Auditor-General will release the full document next week, after which “the Attorney General will have to take over.”