NewzFinancial irregularities within Ghana’s public boards, corporations and statutory institutions surged by 109.3 per cent in 2024, rising from GH¢8.8 billion to GH¢18.4 billion, according to the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition’s (GACC) State of Corruption Report, 2025. The report, which draws on the Auditor-General’s report for the period under review, described the sharp increase as a signal of weak expenditure controls across public institutions, warning that the resources involved, if effectively managed, could have been channelled into critical social and economic development interventions. While irregularities within public boards and statutory institutions rose steeply, the report noted a different trend among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and District Assemblies.
Irregularities within MDAs fell by 14.6 per cent, from GH¢2.4 billion in 2023 to more than GH¢2 billion in 2024, while District Assemblies recorded a 14.9 per cent decline over the same period, from GH¢22.2 million to GH¢18.9 million. Despite the declines at the MDA and district levels, the report noted a sharp rise in cash, outstanding debtor and loan recoverables, payroll, procurement and rent-related irregularities within MDAs, describing the trend as alarming and pointing to the need for enhanced accountability and internal controls. In total, irregularities across public boards, MDAs and District Assemblies amounted to more than GH¢20.4 billion during the year under review.
The report attributed the recurring nature of the irregularities to weak enforcement, noting that although state institutions had the necessary administrative and internal control systems to prevent financial leakages, the systems had proven ineffective because public officials had found ways to circumvent the rules without facing consequences. It called for a multifaceted approach to addressing the problem, stressing the need for stronger oversight and enforcement mechanisms in public procurement and contract management, particularly within public boards and statutory institutions, where the most significant increases were recorded. The report situated the audit findings within a broader picture of stagnating anti-corruption performance.
Ghana scored 42 out of 100 points on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2024 and dropped 10 places in the global rankings, from 70th to 80th, a regression to its … Ghana’s public financial management system is facing serious challenges, with financial irregularities amounting to GH¢20.49 billion recorded across public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs). The figure is contained in the 2025 State of Corruption Report of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) launched in Accra yesterday.
The report, which assesses Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts and developments throughout 2025, says the scale of the irregularities points to persistent weaknesses in expenditure controls and the enforcement of financial management rules. Boards hardest hit Public boards, corporations and other statutory institutions accounted for the largest share, with irregularities rising sharply from GH¢8.8 billion in 2023 to GH¢18.4 billion in 2024. The report described the increase as a signal of weak expenditure controls, warning that the resources could otherwise have been channelled into critical social and economic development programmes.
It also noted a 109.3 per cent increase in overall irregularities in the areas reviewed, with outstanding debtors and loans recoverable, cash, procurement, tax, stores and contract irregularities recording significant increases. For MDAs, the cost of irregularities stood at about GH¢2.1 billion. Although the figure represented a 14.6 per cent decline from 2023, the report expressed concern over sharp increases in cash, outstanding debtors and loans recoverable, payroll, procurement and rent-related irregularities.
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