Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has revealed that the government will address the thorny issue of arrears owed to road contractors in the forthcoming mid-year budget review.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, July 2, the Deputy Minister assured that the Ministry of Finance is committed to full transparency and accountability.
He noted that audits of the arrears had already been conducted by both the Auditor-General and top accounting firms.
“All these will be programmed in our budget. Now, the Auditor-General and the top accounting firms that did the auditing of the arrears have already brought some reports that have indicated that some of the amounts are being disallowed,” Ampem Nyarko stated.
He added that the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, would report on the findings during the mid-year budget presentation.
“In the mid-year budget review, Dr. Forson will report on that, and we will indicate what the audited arrears are. Then, we will also indicate the plans to clear them,” he emphasized.
The clarification is expected to bring some relief to contractors who have long called on the government to settle outstanding payments, which many say are stalling ongoing infrastructure projects across the country.
