Financial irregularities across five audited sectors have declined by 62.9 per cent, from approximately GH¢20.72 billion in 2024 to GH¢7.69 billion in 2025, Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has said.
He indicated that the reduction amounted to approximately GH¢13.03 billion and exceeded the government’s target of cutting financial irregularities by 50 per cent in 2025.
Mr Ampem was speaking at the 2025 Auditor-General's Reports Engagement in Accra last Monday.
"This represents a reduction of approximately GH¢13.03 billion, or 62.9 per cent.
This is a significant achievement," he said.
The engagement, held under the theme "Recovering Every Cedi," brought together Chief Directors, Heads of Institutions, and representatives of the Auditor-General to deliberate on the findings of the 2025 Auditor-General's Reports.
The Reports cover Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs); the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF); Public Boards and State-Owned Enterprises; and Public Universities and Colleges of Education.
Mr Ampem stated that while the overall figures were encouraging, they concealed areas where the situation had deteriorated.
Irregularities relating to DACF declined by 39.6 per cent, while Public Universities and Colleges of Education recorded a 51.5 per cent reduction.
Public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions recorded the most substantial decline of approximately 87.8 per cent.
Within the education sector, recoverable irregularities in public universities declined by 35.2 percent, while those in Colleges of Education declined by an impressive 95.8 per cent.
However, MDAs recorded an increase in irregularities of 156.3 per cent, while MMDAs recorded an increase of 125.6 per cent.
"These increases are unacceptable and demand immediate corrective action," the Deputy Minister warned.
Recovery
Mr Ampem stressed that identifying irregularities was not the end of the process, emphasising that recovery and accountability must follow.
The engagement
"For too long, audit findings have sometimes been treated as matters to be noted, discussed and eventually forgotten. That approach must change," he stated.
The Deputy Minister of Finance made it clear that the responsibility for action did not rest with the Auditor-General alone.
"The respective Ministries, Departments, Agencies and other public institutions know the relevant transactions and parties involved. They must, therefore, take direct responsibility for initiating and pursuing recovery," he said.
This includes issuing demand notices where appropriate, following up outstanding debts, engaging responsible persons and institutions, and ensuring that recoverable amounts are paid back to the State within the required timelines.
Monitoring, accountability
The Deputy Finance Minister announced that recovery efforts would be monitored and progress reported.
"Where responsible institutions or officers fail to act on recoverable amounts, the appropriate accountability measures will be applied in accordance with the applicable public financial management laws," he warned.
Mr Ampem emphasised: "Public money must be protected.
Money due to the state must be recovered.
Those responsible for the loss or misuse of public resources must be held accountable."
Fiscal responsibility culture
The Deputy Finance Minister stressed that the government's ultimate objective was to build a public financial management system in which financial irregularities were the exception rather than the norm.
"We must strengthen preventive controls so that irregularities are identified and addressed before they become financial losses," he said.
Mr Ampem called on all MDAs, MMDAs, State-Owned Enterprises and other public institutions to take the findings of the Auditor-General seriously and act on them.
"Let this engagement mark a decisive shift from audit findings to action, from action to recovery, and from recovery to stronger systems that prevent recurrence.
The Ghanaian taxpayer expects nothing less," Mr Ampem stressed.
