The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has raised concerns over more than GH¢50 million in outstanding statutory payments it says are owed by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), warning that the arrears are putting pressure on its operations.
The agency says the unpaid funds are affecting its ability to meet some statutory financial obligations and provide critical meteorological services, including weather forecasting and aviation-related services.
Under the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act, 2019 (Act 1002), the GCAA is required to remit 10 per cent of en-route, overflight and landing fees to GMet, while the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is expected to pay five per cent of airport passenger taxes to the agency.
GMet says although an agreement was reached in March 2026 for the GCAA to settle outstanding arrears following the amendment of the law, the payments have not been fully made.
Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, August 18, GMet Director-General, Dr Eric Asuman, identified limited access to aviation flight data as a major obstacle to the agency’s ability to independently verify the revenue on which its statutory entitlement is calculated.
According to him, GMet has repeatedly sought access to the GCAA’s flight database but has yet to obtain the necessary access.
He explained that without the relevant data, the agency cannot independently track flight movements or determine whether the amounts transferred to it accurately reflect the fees collected.
Dr Asuman described the matter as a longstanding dispute between the two institutions and called for a system that would allow GMet to independently verify the figures used to calculate its statutory share.
He said GACL had, since 2023, taken steps to ensure its statutory contribution was paid directly to GMet through the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
However, he said a similar arrangement involving the GCAA had not been completed because an authorisation letter required for the process had not been issued.
“Since 2023 till now, that letter has not been sent. And when they also receive their funds, they don’t transmit the GMeT component, which is 10% landing, 10% en route, as stipulated by law to GMeT,” he said.
Dr Asuman said the dispute had become serious enough to attract the attention of Parliament’s Select Committee, which intervened in efforts to resolve the matter.
He maintained that the statutory payments were not discretionary, but obligations established by law.
GMet is now calling for a more transparent mechanism to facilitate the calculation, verification and transfer of its statutory entitlement.
Dr Asuman said resolving the issue was particularly important as GMet requires additional resources to strengthen weather forecasting, aviation meteorology and other services that support public safety and national development.
