Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has dismissed claims of a rift between his ministry and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) over a disputed GH¢1.6 billion funding release, describing the controversy as a misunderstanding arising from differences in the use of public finance terms.
He said the disagreement was not a sign of tension between the two ministries, insisting that officials from both sides were referring to different stages of government expenditure processes.
“There is no problem. I think it’s a misconception that started when the Deputy Minister of Finance, my deputy, made a statement which the Ministry of Agriculture also responded to,” Dr Forson said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, July 24, 2026.
“But I think the bottom line is that they were all speaking about two different things, and it is coming as a result of a lack of understanding of the terminologies being used by both sides,” he added.
The controversy emerged in June 2026 after Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko announced that government had released about GH¢1.6 billion to MoFA, representing about 85% of the ministry’s 2026 allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
MoFA, however, disputed the claim, stating that although the release had been announced, the ministry had not received the full amount referenced by the Finance Ministry.
Dr Forson explained that the confusion stemmed from the distinction between “releases” and “payments” in government accounting.
“One, the Ministry—or the Deputy Minister’s statement made reference to releases. And two, the Ministry of Agric’s representatives spoke and also made reference to payments. There is some significant difference between releases and payment,” he said.
He explained that a release means funds have been made available to a ministry within the government’s financial system, while payment occurs after the ministry completes the required processes and funds are drawn from the Consolidated Fund.
“For example, goods and services: I give you allotment, because what may be in the budget for the first quarter and the second quarter, I can give allotment below the budgetary allocation, because the budget is only an estimate based on projections of revenue,” he said.
“And so I can give allotment maybe 75% of that amount, and accordingly release that 75% to you, or maybe 100% to you. Your responsibility is to go through the system, generate invoices, send to Controller, and access the cash,” he added.
According to records from the Ministry of Finance, releases for Goods and Services had reached 94.73% of the approved allocation, while releases for Capital Expenditure stood at 74.66%.
The issue attracted further attention because both Dr Forson and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku have been linked to possible ambitions to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership race in the future, leading to speculation that the disagreement could have political undertones.
However, Dr Forson rejected such interpretations, saying the matter was purely administrative and had nothing to do with personal or political differences.
“It has nothing to do with friction or something. It is about misunderstanding of terms,” he said.
Credit: Citi Newsroom