Government to ensure timely payment to contractors in 2026

The Controller and Accountant-General, Kwesi Agyei, has indicated that the government is committed to paying contractors on time in 2026.

He made this pledge at the 3rd Annual Conference of the African Association of Accountants-General (AAAG) closing ceremony, which has just concluded in Accra.

“Payment time is maybe contracted in just 15 days, but ours is 90 days, and we are supposed to arrive in January,” Mr Agyei stated, framing the move as critical to rebuilding the “trust” he identified as a form of capital.

“When PFM practices are working very well, it affects revenue, so we are able to block the leakage,” he asserted.

Africa’s top accountants and public financial managers at the just-ended 2025 African Association of Accountants-Generals (AAAG) Conference adopted the landmark Accra Resolution, promising to launch a coordinated attack on the demons stifling the continent’s development – corruption and ballooning national debt.

The resolution, seen by Business and Financial Times (B&FT), is a comprehensive continental blueprint for reform – targeting everything from the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Treasury management and a full transition to IPSAS accounting and enhancing debt sustainability by adopting fiscal responsibility frameworks, including maintaining budgets within sustainable limits and conducting regular Debt Sustainability Analyses (DSAs).

The Accra Resolution also promised coordinated national strategies to combat illicit financial flows, strengthened inter-agency collaboration and enhanced cross-border cooperation. It is estimated that Africa loses US$88.6billion annually to illicit financial flows (IFFs).

The Accra Resolution, developed over three days of intense dialogue, positions Public Financial Management (PFM) as the “nervous system of government”, stressing that it must be fortified. The resolution is a response to urgent calls for action voiced by leaders at the conference.

The Head of the Office of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darko, emphasised the non-negotiable need for ethical leadership, lamenting conservative mentality. He said: “Patriotism will not take you to the market”.

He argued that trust is the bedrock of development. “If you have five S-Class cars from your wife who doesn’t trust you, it’s a major security challenge. So how do we build trust? We build trust for the institutions we deliver,” he said.

Dr Aggrey-Darko revealed that the government is actively considering an overhaul or replacement of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

“We are arguing that somehow we need to reform it, or we need to replace it. That’s what we’re doing, and the discussions are ongoing,” he stated, signalling a potential upgrade to the core system meant to ensure transparent and accountable financial management.

Furthermore, Agyei highlighted the existential threat posed by debt servicing that consumes over 50 percent of government revenue, stating it “crowds out poverty-alleviating government projects”.

The Accra Resolution now establishes a clear reporting mechanism, requiring that countries report annually to the AAAG on their progress – particularly on IPSAS adoption – with a comprehensive Continental PFM Reform Roadmap (2026-2030) to be developed.

However, Dr Aggrey-Darko cautioned that a vision not translated into action remains merely a vision, identifying implementation as the “actual part of the policy cycle”.

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