Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has rejected suggestions of a disagreement between his ministry and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) over the reported GH¢1.6 billion funding release, insisting that the issue was only a misunderstanding caused by differences in financial terminology.
Dr Forson explained that there was no tension between himself and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, stressing that officials from both ministries were referring to different stages of the government’s expenditure process.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, July 24, 2026, the Finance Minister said the controversy was sparked after his Deputy, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, announced that government had released about GH¢1.6 billion to MoFA, representing a significant portion of the ministry’s 2026 allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure.
However, representatives of the Agriculture Ministry later indicated that the full amount mentioned had not yet been received, creating public debate over the status of the funds.
Dr Forson said the confusion resulted from the use of the terms “release” and “payment,” which have different meanings within the public financial management system.
According to him, a release means funds have been made available to a ministry through the government’s financial framework, while payment takes place after the ministry completes the necessary procedures and the funds are accessed from the Consolidated Fund.
He noted that ministries may receive expenditure allocations or releases based on approved budget provisions and revenue projections, but actual payments depend on the completion of required processes, including the submission and approval of invoices.
Records from the Ministry of Finance indicate that releases for Goods and Services had reached 94.73 percent of the approved allocation, while Capital Expenditure releases stood at 74.66 percent.
The issue attracted attention amid speculation that the disagreement could have political undertones, following reports linking both Dr Forson and Eric Opoku to possible future ambitions within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
But Dr Forson dismissed such claims, maintaining that the matter was purely administrative and had no connection to personal disagreements or political rivalry.
He reiterated that the relationship between the Finance Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry remained cordial, describing the controversy as a case of different interpretations of financial terms rather than a dispute between the two institutions.
