The Government of Ghana has recorded a major early breakthrough in its arrears audit, recovering GH¢19.1 million from Rans Logistics after the company was cited for financial irregularities linked to grain transportation payments.
The recovery was disclosed by Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko during a special hearing by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, where he said the refund came just days after the audit findings were made public.
“Exactly a week after the presentation, the company has gone ahead to refund 19.1 million Cedis to the state,” he told the committee, presenting the development as evidence that the audit is already yielding tangible results.
Audit Uncovers Irregularities in State Claims
The refund forms part of a much larger government review of GH¢68.7 billion in outstanding arrears owed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to the Deputy Minister, the audit validated GH¢45.4 billion as legitimate claims, while GH¢8.1 billion was rejected outright due to irregularities and financial infractions. A further GH¢13.3 billion remains under assessment, raising the prospect of additional recoveries and possible sanctions.
Officials say the exercise is aimed not only at verifying what the state legitimately owes, but also at exposing systemic weaknesses that have contributed to the build-up of questionable public liabilities.
The audit findings revealed what appears to be a troubling pattern of abuse within the public payment system.
Among the infractions identified were forged documents, falsified receipts and claims submitted for work that had not been done. Auditors also uncovered duplicate invoices and inflated billing, where contractors allegedly filed multiple claims for the same assignment or exaggerated contract values.
In the road sector, some contracts were reportedly awarded without proper approval or budget backing, while other claims related to debts that could not be traced to any official project or documentation.
Authorities also flagged expired claims, including payments sought for goods that had lost value because of prolonged delays and poor contract administration.
More Recoveries and Legal Action Expected
Beyond the GH¢19.1 million already returned, government says it is pursuing additional restitution in the same case.
According to the Deputy Minister, Rans Logistics also received excess quantities of rice estimated at more than 7,000 metric tonnes, and efforts are underway to recover the value of that allocation as well.
The findings have since been referred to the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Accounts Committee for further action.
“The Attorney General is working with his team to recommend the right course of action for all these infractions.” - Mr. Ampem Nyarko
Government officials say the audit is a crucial step toward restoring discipline in public spending and rebuilding trust in the management of state resources.
With billions still under review, the arrears audit is increasingly emerging as both a financial clean-up exercise and a test of the state’s willingness to enforce accountability where public funds have been mismanaged.
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