TEMA, Ghana, 6th May: Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has weighed in on the ongoing public disagreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) over the release of funds for the agricultural sector.
The two ministries are at odds over conflicting claims regarding agricultural funding allocations for 2026. At the center of the dispute is whether MoFA has actually received the GH¢1.6 billion representing approximately 85 percent of its budget allocation which the Ministry of Finance says it has disbursed.
The Ministry of Finance maintains that it has released more than GH¢1.67 billion to support agricultural programmes. The ministry has cited records from the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) as evidence, providing warrant numbers, transaction journal IDs, and requisition dates linked to initiatives such as poultry development, fertilizer distribution, and Farmers’ Service Centres.
However, MoFA has strongly disputed the claim, insisting that it has received only about GH¢910 million, representing 12.4 percent of its total budget allocation. The ministry has challenged the Finance Ministry to identify the specific accounts into which the purported funds were transferred.
Commenting on the matter during Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, June 6, Mr. Koomson suggested that Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson may be exercising extra caution in the release of public funds due to his past experiences with legal and political challenges under the previous administration.
According to him, the Finance Minister is likely ensuring that all due diligence procedures and financial protocols are strictly adhered to before any approved funds are disbursed.
“Once bitten, twice shy. Anyone who has been bitten by a snake before will run away even when he sees a harmless worm. Having experienced persecution under the Akufo-Addo administration over what he believes were politically motivated charges, Dr. Ato Forson would naturally ensure that exhaustive due diligence and proper procedures are followed before releasing funds, even those approved by Parliament,” Mr. Koomson stated.
The GFL Secretary General further argued that the Finance Minister’s cautious approach may have inadvertently created misconceptions among some government officials and political operatives.
“I think this approach by the Finance Minister has created an erroneous impression in the minds of some ministers and operatives, leading to misunderstandings regarding the actual status of fund releases,” he added.
The disagreement between the two ministries has sparked public debate about transparency, accountability, and the efficiency of government financial disbursement processes, particularly in a sector regarded as critical to Ghana’s economic growth and food security.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭