The Ministry of Finance has defended the decision to channel petroleum revenues towards the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway, insisting that the arrangement has not deprived District Assemblies of their statutory allocations or denied the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) access to relevant information.
The Ministry said it had provided PIAC with data on petroleum revenue receipts and distribution, alongside explanations of how the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) was being utilised.
The clarification follows concerns raised by PIAC in a statement dated October 21 over the exclusion of ABFA utilisation data from its 2026 Semi-Annual Report.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 23, the Ministry rejected suggestions that the omission resulted from its failure to disclose information to the Committee.
“The exclusion of ABFA utilisation data from PIAC’s report should therefore not be presented as evidence that the Ministry withheld information,” it said.
The Ministry explained that its officials had participated in PIAC’s virtual validation workshop and held in-person meetings with the Committee to discuss petroleum receipts, revenue distribution and the arrangements governing the use of ABFA resources.
On the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, the Ministry referred to paragraph 572 of the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, which states that funds allocated to the project, including the total ABFA realised in 2026, had been ring-fenced for construction once the contract was awarded.
It said the approach was consistent with PIAC’s recommendation that petroleum revenues should not be spread too thinly across numerous projects with limited economic impact.
According to the Ministry, concentrating the resources on the expressway is intended to support a major national infrastructure project and improve value for money.
The Ministry also rejected claims that the arrangement had shortchanged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
It explained that the five per cent allocation due to the District Assemblies Common Fund was being paid from the Consolidated Fund, adding that the arrangement had been communicated to PIAC.
“Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have therefore not been shortchanged by the decision to ring-fence ABFA resources for the expressway,” the statement said.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of petroleum revenues, saying it would continue providing PIAC with information required to carry out its oversight responsibilities.
It added that details on petroleum revenue receipts and utilisation would continue to be made available through the Annual Report on Petroleum Funds, Petroleum Reconciliation Reports, Budget Statements and other fiscal publications.
The clarification places the focus on two issues: the disclosure of information on petroleum revenue utilisation and the government’s decision to concentrate ABFA resources on the proposed expressway rather than distribute them across multiple projects.
