The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to recover GH¢2.5 million owed by more than 295 public institutions within 30 days.

The outstanding debts are owed by a number of state institutions, including Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces and the National Ambulance Service.

Appearing before the Committee, CWSA management was directed to take immediate steps to recover the outstanding amounts, with PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare stressing that the deadline was mandatory.

“We give you 30 days to collect the GH¢2.5 million. This is non-negotiable. 30 days from today, collect the GH¢2.5 million from these institutions,” she said.

The Committee also instructed the agency to engage the Inspector-General of Police to assist in recovering more than GH¢300,000 owed by 72 police stations.

The directive forms part of the Committee’s efforts to ensure that public institutions settle outstanding obligations and that state agencies recover monies owed to them.