Ghana Audit Service faces serious budget shortfalls

The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has raised concerns over what he labelled as a severe funding crisis at the Ghana Audit Service after the Ministry of Finance failed to release over 40% of the institution’s parliamentary-approved budget for 2025.

This, according to him, has left thousands of staff members without their “promised allowances and arrears” as the festive season approaches.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, December 16, Vincent Ekow Assafuah revealed that despite Parliament’s approval of GH¢838 million for the Audit Service in the 2025 Budget, only 59% had been released by the end of the third quarter of 2025.

“This implies that more than 40% of Parliament approved funds were not released,” he stated, adding that this funding gap has had immediate effects on Audit Service personnel, with each affected staff member currently owed an average of about GH¢15,000 for outstanding arrears and allowances.

The Old Tafo MP further revealed that the payment validation process for December specifically excluded outstanding arrears and allowances, meaning these funds were not captured for payment despite being legitimate obligations to staff members.

“This decision effectively delays or cancels this entitlement that is due staff of the Ghana Audit Service,” he explained.

The MP noted that the crisis emerged when the institution’s total compensation budget exceeded the funds released by the Finance Ministry, which led management to prioritize basic salary payments while postponing other staff entitlements.

“This has significantly reduced staff morale particularly as many officers had planned to meet family and social obligations during the Christmas period using these entitlements,” he lamented.