Four MDAs receive 33.7% ABFA in 8 years

Departments and Agencies under the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Education and Special Development Initiative, in the last eight years, since 2012, have received GHc796 million of the annual budget funding amount (ABFA) out of Ghc2.364 billion allotted to the four within the same period, a report by SEND Ghana has revealed

Though the Educational Ministry was allocated GHc669 million from 2013-2015 and 2017-2019, it failed to disclose how much it has so far received for its projects within these periods, the report noted.

The Ministry of Special Development and Initiative (MSDI) which has been existing for only three years, had so far, been allocated the highest ABFA of Ghc1.078 billion but has received only Ghc275 million, making 25.5 percent, more than total receipts for 2013, 2015 and 2019 from the Health Ministry, totaling Ghc113 million, constituting 49.49 percent of the Ghc229 million it was allotted.

MoFA’s receipt however, stands at Ghc407 million constituting 38.6 percent out of Ghc1.055 billion in the eight years.

The report noted that one of the major reasons for MDAs inability to fully access their requested funds is the low or lack of adherence to work plans submitted to the Finance Ministry.

It also indicated that the Finance Ministry’s inability to follow plans submitted by the MDAs for execution also discourages annual submissions.

A common constraint faced by MDAs in their bid to access monies for projects from MoF, the report indicated, includes delays in fund processing and final release to MDAs, approval of commencement warrant, processing request due to rigorous and bureaucratic processes, occasional absence of approving officers from MoF and requesting MDAs due to travels among others.

The research recommended that MDAs and the MoF must streamline internal administrative procedures to ensure that absence of schedule or approving officers does not prevent the process for request or approval of funds.

It indicated that approving officers should be enabled to grant authorization to other officers to approve on their behalf to reduce undue delays

“The bureaucracy around request and approval channels should be shortened or processes accelerated so that funds are released timely. The MoF must institute deadlines for ABFA request and approval, ensure its adherence and sanction MDAs that causes delays” the report recommended.