No Commencement Certificate, No Contract – Finance Minister Warns MDAs

Accra – April 7, 2025 — Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has issued a strict directive to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), warning that no government contract will be awarded without prior authorisation from the Ministry of Finance.

Speaking during a high-level meeting with Chief Directors and senior officials from various MDAs, Dr. Forson emphasized that effective April 3, 2025, the Ministry is enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on unauthorized contract awards.

"You cannot award contracts without the express approval of the Ministry of Finance," Dr. Forson declared. "No commencement certificate, no procurement."

According to the Minister, this directive is not just an administrative guideline but a binding legal requirement under the Amended Public Financial Management Act of 2025. He cautioned that failure to comply would attract severe consequences.

“The Ministry of Finance will no longer take the fall for fiscal indiscipline,” Dr. Forson stated, stressing the need to uphold transparency, fiscal responsibility, and good governance in the use of public resources.

He further urged all public servants to act with integrity and patriotism, especially in these economically challenging times. “We are among the privileged few. We cannot continue to subject our people to hardship through poor governance and financial mismanagement,” he said.

The Finance Minister concluded by calling for full compliance with budget implementation protocols and reinforced the need for public institutions to align with national priorities in the interest of fiscal sustainability and economic recovery.