Claim: Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo says financial irregularities in the country’s public sector in 2023 have dropped GHȼ5.2 billion from the previous year.
Verdict: True. JUSTFACT GHANA’s research confirmed that financial irregularities in the country’s public sector in 2023 were reduced by GHȼ5.2 billion compared to 2022, as Mr Akufo-Addo alleged. The Auditor-General revealed that financial irregularities in 2022 were over GHȼ16.5 billion, dropping to over GHȼ11.3 billion in 2023.
Background
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has defended his anti-corruption achievement since he assumed office in 2017.
Speaking at the Annual Ghana Bar Conference in Kumasi on Sept. 9, 2024, Mr Akufo-Addo said he has equipped anti-graft agencies through budget raise and provision of additional resources to “discharge satisfactorily the mandate of their office.”
“The Auditor-General’s report for 2023, for example, revealed a significant decline in financial irregularities within the public sector, dropping by GHȼ5.2 billion from the previous year at a 32% reduction,” the President said.
See minutes 6:34 to 6:57 of the video posted on YouTube for Mr Akufo-Addo’s comment about reducing public sector corruption in Ghana.
Investigations
JUSTFACT GHANA’s research confirmed that financial irregularities in the country’s public sector in 2023 were reduced by GHȼ5.2 billion compared to 2022.
The Auditor-General revealed that financial irregularities in 2022 totaled over GHȼ16.5 billion and dropped to over GHȼ11.3 billion in 2023.
Ghana’s public sector comprises the central government, ministries, departments, agencies, metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, public boards and corporations, and public educational institutions.
The Auditor-General’s report showed that as of Dec. 31, 2023, financial irregularities at Public boards, corporations, and other statutory institutions were GHȼ8,799,263,120, and that of 2022 were GHȼ15,059,441,806.
Trend analysis of financial irregularities committed by public boards and corporations
Also, the total values of various irregularities of the technical universities for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, were GHȼ45,608,946 and GHȼ20,959,576 for 2022. The financial irregularities for the Colleges of Education in 2023 was GHȼ7,975,574, the Auditor-General’s report has said.
Trend analysis of financial irregularities committed by Technical Universities
For ministries, departments, and other agencies, their financial irregularities amounted to GHȼ2,400,874,200 in 2023 and GHȼ1,412,021,814 in 2022.
Financial irregularities at the district assemblies for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, were GHȼ22,211,707.62 and GHȼ19,985,108.17 in 2022, the Auditor-General had revealed.
Trend analysis of financial irregularities committed by district assemblies
Additionally, financial irregularities at pre-university educational institutions in 2023 were GHȼ7,484,080.52 and GHȼ7,636,498.27 in 2022.
The total financial irregularities committed in 2022 and 2023 were GHȼ16,520,044,991 and GHȼ11,283,417,628, respectively, as the Auditor-General’s report disclosed.
Striking the difference between the two values reduces the financial irregularities in Ghana’s public sector to GHȼ5,236,627,363.
Conclusion
JUSTFACT GHANA’s research confirmed that financial irregularities in the country’s public sector in 2023 were reduced by GHȼ5.2 billion compared to 2022, as Mr Akufo-Addo alleged.
