The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that, effective April 3, 2025, all government contracts must receive prior authorisation from the Ministry of Finance before approval.

He made this disclosure following a recent meeting with Chief Directors and senior officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

Sharing details on his X platform on April 8, 2025, he stated, "I delivered a firm directive that takes effect from April 3, 2025: No government contract shall be approved without prior commencement authorisation from the Ministry of Finance."

Dr. Forson explained that the directive is in line with the amended Public Financial Management Act, 2025.

"This is not business as usual. This is a decisive step to enforce fiscal discipline, ensure accountability, and end the culture of financial recklessness in public administration. I made it unequivocally clear: You cannot award contracts without the express approval of the Ministry of Finance."

He further emphasised, "Every contract must now receive commencement authorisation. Let me repeat: No commencement certificate, no procurement. This is not merely a bureaucratic process—it is a legal requirement."

The Minister warned that violations of this directive will carry serious consequences.

"The Ministry of Finance will no longer carry the weight of fiscal indiscipline alone. If you are a principal spending officer and you violate this directive, you will be held personally accountable."

Dr. Forson also called on public officials to uphold integrity and prioritise the welfare of Ghanaians.

"I urge all public officials to act with integrity and a deep sense of national duty. We are among the privileged few—we must not continue to subject our people to hardship through negligence or abuse of public resources."

"Restoring trust in public service begins with transparency, responsibility, and discipline in implementing the national budget. That journey starts now."

See the post below

At a recent meeting with Chief Directors and senior officials of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, I delivered a firm directive that takes effect from April 3, 2025: No government contract shall be approved without prior commencement authorisation from the Ministry… pic.twitter.com/hmtWAt4JQj

— Cassiel Ato Forson(PhD) (@Cassielforson) April 8, 2025