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Ghana’s debt hits GH¢761bn, Amin Adam blames Cedi depreciation
The Minister of Finance Dr.Amin Adam has disclosed that as of July 31, 2024, Ghana’s provisional nominal central government debt stood at GH¢761.1 billion.
According to him, to the minister, this is equivalent to US$51.1 billion.
The minister made these revelations during the monthly Economic Update at the Finance Ministry in Accra on Thursday.
This figure marks a nominal increase from the previous amount of GH¢587.7 billion, which was equivalent to US$53.5 billion.
He explained that the increase in cedi terms and the decrease in US dollar terms are largely attributed to the depreciation of the cedi.
“As of July 31, 2024, Ghana’s provisional nominal central government debt stood at GH¢761.1 billion, equivalent to US$51.1 billion. This represents a nominal increase from the previous amount of GH¢587.7 billion, equivalent to US$53.5 billion,” he noted.
He concluded by adding that “The increase in cedi terms and decrease in US dollar terms is attributed to a combination of factors, including cedi depreciation, disbursements from multilateral institutions, and domestic financing of the budget.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Abena Osei Asare has expressed concerns about the failure of the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Mr. Paul Adjei to honour invitation of the Committee to assist in dealing with abandoned projects cited in the 2024 Auditor-General’s report.
She emphasised that some of the projects have been abandoned for more than 20 years and it kept reoccurring in the Auditor-General’s report yearly, stressing that the GETFund Administrator could assist by prioritising these projects.
However, he has failed to personally appear before the Committee since the commencement of the Committee’s public hearing in the 9th Parliament.
According to the 2024 Auditor-General’s report on Pre-University Educational Institutions, nine (9) Institutions with 16 projects awarded by the GET Fund Secretariat had been abandoned/delayed for a period ranging between three (3) and 28 years.
Some of the affected schools include Adanwomoase Senior High School (Boys and Girls dormitory abandoned for 12 years), Atoa Senior High School (Home Economics Block abandoned for 27 years), Beposo Senior High School (Dinning Hall and Kitchen Complex abandoned for 10 years and lastly KNUST Senior High School (Three storey classroom block abandoned for 20 years).
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy continued its oversight responsibilities with a working visit to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) yesterday.
Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said the visit formed part of efforts to familiarize members with the Authority’s operations and to explore ways Parliament could provide the necessary support.
He explained that the NPA’s work is focused on regulating Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector, a critical area for national energy security.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the Committee is particularly interested in assessing whether the country has adequate petroleum stock to meet demand.
He noted that rising geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing US–Iran conflict, could have adverse effect on Ghana’s energy supply and pricing.
He further disclosed that the Committee intends to engage closely with the Authority on a proposed new petroleum bill.
According to him, a draft of the legislation will be reviewed and possibly presented to Parliament under a certificate of urgency.
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