Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has affirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program without renegotiation or extension.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the IMF in Accra on April 15, Dr. Forson emphasized that the government believes in the program and is dedicated to achieving its objectives.
Ato Forson acknowledged that previous administrations missed some structural benchmarks and quantitative targets but assured that the current government is committed to meeting the program’s goals.
To achieve this, Dr. Forson outlined measures to strengthen expenditure controls, eliminate arrears accumulation, improve budget credibility, and enhance fiscal and debt sustainability.
The Mahama government has commissioned the Auditor-General, together with two international audit firms, to audit the payables and commitments to validate their legitimacy and values, and provide recommendations for corrective measures.
The audit is expected to be completed within eight weeks.
Furthermore, Ato Forson highlighted a recent amendment to the Procurement Act, which ensures that the issuance of commitment authorization by the Minister for Finance is a prerequisite for all central government procurements.
The government also plans to launch a Public Financial Management (PFM) Commitment Control Compliance League Table to track and publish the compliance levels of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies under the PFM Act.
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