A disagreement has broken out between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) over how much money has actually been released for agricultural programmes this year.
The Ministry of Finance says it has released more than GH¢1.6 billion to MoFA, which it says is about 85% of the ministry’s 2026 budget for projects, goods, and services.
According to the Finance Ministry, almost 95% of the budget for goods and services has been released, while about 75% of funds for capital projects have also been paid.
The ministry says these figures show that budget implementation is progressing well.
The Finance Ministry also explained that, apart from funds sent to the National Food Buffer Stock Company, all payments were requested by MoFA through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
It added that every payment followed the required procedures and was supported by official documents and approvals.
The ministry said this is the normal process used for all government ministries, departments, and agencies.
However, MoFA has challenged the Finance Ministry’s claims, saying the figures do not match official budget documents issued by the Finance Ministry itself.
According to MoFA, although it received a Commitment Authorisation on February 15, 2026, and a First and Second Quarter Budget Allotment Letter issued on February 19, 2026, it limited its spending for the first half of the year to GH¢910 million.
The ministry further explained that the detailed spending schedule allowed it to use only about GH¢453 million between January and June 2026. This amount was meant to cover salaries, operational expenses, and existing contracts.
MoFA said the approved funds for major programmes include:
- Farmer Service Centres – GH¢172.5 million
- Nkokonkitinkiti Programme – GH¢36.75 million
- Fertiliser and Certified Seeds – GH¢77.3 million
- Feed Ghana Programme – GH¢4.5 million
- National Food Buffer Stock Company – GH¢30 million
- Irrigation Infrastructure – GH¢26.25 million
The ministry insists it has not received any additional approval from the Finance Ministry that would support the claim that more than GH¢1.6 billion has been released.
MoFA also questioned how the Finance Ministry arrived at its figure, arguing that government spending is guided by official budget allocations and actual cash releases, not public statements.
“For the avoidance of doubt,” MoFA said, it has attached relevant Commitment Authorisation letters and allotment documents to support its position that expenditure was capped at GH¢910 million for the first half of 2026.
Samuel Huntor, the ministry’s media liaison officer, said “the facts speak for themselves,” and called for transparency and accuracy in reporting public financial information as the disagreement continues.
