PAC orders Ghana Airports Company and GCAA to pay $10 million debt to Meteo Agency

The Acting Director-General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Mr. Eric Esuman, has explained that its indebtedness of $10 million is a result of the Ghana Airports Company and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority's inability to honour their financial obligations.

The Acting Director-General made the pronouncement when he, together with some officials of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) public hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to respond to some infractions cited against the GMA by the Auditor – Generals Report for the Period Ended December 31, 2022.

Mr. Eric Esuman told the Public Accounts Committee that his outfit has made frantic efforts to recover the amount (10 million dollars) Ghana Civil Aviation owes them.

He elucidated that, in May 2023, a letter was written to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority reminding them of the amount owed them. In addition, he appealed to PAC to compel GCAA to pay the monies owed to them.

"Mr. Chairman, all efforts to get GCAA to honour our request, even to reconcile and have a payment plan, proved futile,'' he stressed.

Speaking to the media after the PAC public hearing, Mr. Eric Esuman emphasized that the 10-million-dollar debt was occasioned by the amendment of the Ghana Meteorological Agency Act in 2019.

Ghana Airport Company, Ghana Civil Aviation are mandated to give specific percentages of their receivables to GMA for services they provide them.

However, he said once the Public Accounts Committee has dealt with the issue, the GCAA must comply, adding that failure to pay the money will result in legal action as the last remedy.