Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has warned contractors without commencement certificates will not be paid.
According to Ato Forson, contractors must make sure they have a commencement certificate because without that it is an unauthorised commitment.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Ato Forson stated, “194 contractors are those who have to work, some of them have not been done yet, and so we will have to validate for us to be able to know, those who have done those work, and those who have not done work at all.
I want to use this medium to guide them, make sure you have a commencement certificate because if you don’t have a commencement certificate and you do the work, and you expect us to pay, don’t think at all for payment. It is an unauthorised commitment”, he stated.
Ato Forson noted that if contractors do not go through the right process they will not be paid.
He added that if the contractors are close to finishing their work they should, but if they are yet to start they should not even start.
Meanwhile, Ato Forson during the 2025 budget reading revealed that the government owes a staggering GHS67.5 billion to contractors and suppliers.
He stated, “At the end of December 2024, total central government arrears amounted to GHS67.5 billion, representing 5.2% of GDP. Mr Speaker, with the road sector recording arrears of GHS21 billion”.
“Subsequently, Mr Speaker, the MoF held a special hearing with the MDAs to validate the arrears submitted for payment. The response from the MDAs revealed that a staggering amount of GHS67.5 billion is owed to government contractors and suppliers,” Dr Forson explained.
Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Roads and Highways Minister has on the record stated the former Akufo-Addo government owed some road contractors as little as ¢5000.
“They claimed road toll was accruing just ¢80 million, but today road contractors are working in Ghana who are owed GH¢5,000”, he stated.
Watch the video below:
Dr. Ato Forson says if you are a contractor and you don’t have a commencement certificate, forget about any payment 😂
Pure fiscal management. #AbanPapaAba pic.twitter.com/cz7P7nbeeZ— KOJO DYNAMIC 𓃵 (@AnnanPerry) March 13, 2025
