The Ministry of Finance has accused the previous Akufo-Addo administration of redirecting $65 million from a World Bank-funded flood mitigation project to finance Covid-19-related activities.
Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, Frederick Amissah, said the funds were taken from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, which was designed to strengthen flood resilience in the capital.
Speaking on JoyNews‘ PM Express on Monday, July 6, Mr Amissah dismissed claims that delays in the release of funds had hampered implementation of the project.
“There haven’t been any delays in the release of funds, and I just don’t know where that is coming from,” he said.
Mr Amissah explained that GARID is one of several World Bank-funded projects financed through loans that Ghana is required to repay. He said a review conducted after the Mahama administration assumed office in 2025 uncovered what it considered questionable use of funds across a number of loan-financed projects.
He cited the Ghana Economic Transformation (GET) Project, alleging that nearly GH¢1 billion was spent on travel in 2024.
“There was a project called the Ghana Economic Transformation (GET) Project, and almost GH¢1 billion was spent on travelling in 2024. In one year alone, a billion Ghana cedis was used to travel for a World Bank project,” he said.
According to Mr Amissah, President John Mahama directed the Finance Minister in March 2025 to make resources from the GARID Project available to support the government’s flood response committee.
He said the GARID Project is valued at $350 million, with $137 million already disbursed. Of that amount, he claimed nearly half was redirected to Covid-19 expenditure.
“Nearly half of the $137 million went into Covid expenditure; it was redirected to Covid,” he said.
Mr Amissah stated that a total of $65 million was transferred for Covid-19 activities, adding that only $60.8 million had been properly retired.
“Even the $65 million that was transferred for the purpose of Covid, only $60.8 million has been successfully retired. About $4.2 million remains unretired,” he said.
Asked whether the Covid-19 emergency justified the diversion of the funds, Mr Amissah rejected the argument.
“There was no justification for that,” he said.
He argued that the government at the time had access to alternative sources of financing, including the Stabilisation Fund established during President John Mahama’s first administration, the International Monetary Fund’s Rapid Credit Facility, and funding from the African Development Bank.
Mr Amissah further maintained that Covid-19 spending contributed to Ghana’s debt challenges because much of the financing came in the form of loans.
He questioned several expenditure items funded with the redirected money, including about $2.8 million spent on fumigation, more than $1 million on quarantine feeding, and approximately $60.8 million distributed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
He also raised concerns over a separate $3 million expenditure described only as “support for Covid-19 activities.”
“What actually perplexes me is that there was something that was described as support, support for Covid-19 activities of $3 million, and we don’t know what that is,” he said.
Mr Amissah argued that the use of the funds warranted scrutiny, stressing that public officials must ensure borrowed resources are managed responsibly, particularly as Ghana continues to grapple with the effects of rising public debt.
