The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Ghana has grilled the Central Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) over a substantial payment of GH¢14.88 million that was processed outside the country's official financial tracking system, GIFMIS. This significant sum was revealed during a hearing that forms part of PAC's ongoing examination of the 2025 Auditor-General's report. The committee is pressing for explanations on why such a large amount bypassed standard financial controls.
The Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) is a central platform designed for recording and tracking public spending, providing a real-time paper trail of how taxpayer money moves through state institutions. Processing payments outside GIFMIS means that auditors and oversight bodies like PAC lose the ability to verify transactions as they happen, relying instead on manual records that can be incomplete or harder to trace.
This hearing is part of a broader audit review that has already led to several uncomfortable sessions for public institutions. The Central Region case comes on the heels of PAC summoning the Northern Regional Director of the Births and Deaths Registry over a separate case involving GH¢71,300 withdrawn without supporting receipts. Both cases reflect a pattern of public funds moving without the necessary documentation or system checks.
The scale of financial mismanagement appears to be widespread, as evidenced by PAC's recent findings. Just days before the Central Region hearing, PAC flagged a GH¢4.8 billion national tax gap. Although the committee has decided to drop separate investigations into Ghana's Washington embassy and the 13th All African Games, the ongoing review is casting a wide net across national and regional institutions.
For ordinary Ghanaians, the Central Region case highlights a recurring concern in public financial management. When regional administrations process payments outside GIFMIS, it becomes harder for citizens and watchdog bodies to track how public money is being spent on regional development, salaries, or services. This breakdown in tracking can affect how efficiently resources reach communities.
The Central Regional Coordinating Council manages funds allocated for local projects and administrative functions across its districts. Any lapse in financial tracking at this level can have significant implications for resource allocation and service delivery. The specific responses from Central RCC officials during the session and the exact departments or projects funded by the GH¢14.88 million have not been detailed in the available reports.
It remains unclear whether PAC has scheduled a follow-up hearing with Central RCC officials or what sanctions may follow. The committee's broader review of the 2025 Auditor-General's report continues, with the Northern Region registry case and the national tax gap still on the agenda. The outcome of these hearings and any subsequent actions will be crucial in determining the accountability and transparency of public financial management in Ghana.
Key points
- The Central Regional Coordinating Council processed GH¢14.88 million in payments outside GIFMIS, bypassing standard financial controls.
- PAC's review of the 2025 Auditor-General's report has flagged several cases of financial mismanagement across different regions and institutions in Ghana.
- The ongoing audit review aims to enhance accountability and transparency in public financial management, ensuring that taxpayer money is properly tracked and utilized.
