The Ministry of Transport has dismissed accusations by the Minority in Parliament that it overspent its 2025 capital expenditure by nearly GH¢10 million.
According to the Ministry, the expenditure in question was properly approved by the Ministry of Finance and used to service loans contracted during the Akufo-Addo administration for infrastructure projects under the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA).
Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari clarified that the payments were tied to loan facilities secured between 2021 and 2022 from Ecobank and other financial institutions for the construction of GMA office complexes in Tema, Accra, and Takoradi.
He explained that although the loans were contracted earlier, repayment provisions were not captured in the budget at the time, prompting the GMA to request assistance from his office.
“The Ghana Maritime Authority in 2021–2022 contracted some loans from Ecobank and other financial institutions, but the repayment wasn’t catered for in the budget,” he said. “So the GMA wrote to me to engage the Minister for Finance to allow us to service the loan they contracted for the Tema, Accra, and Takoradi office blocks.”
Bukari emphasised that the Ministry’s actions were lawful and aligned with the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA). He further rejected accusations of unauthorized spending.
“It is not that we overspend,” he stated. “If you are not approved for any amount of money, you don’t have it in the first place — so how do you overspend? It was within our budget, and the PFMA, Section 32, allows any spending officer to write to the Minister of Finance to make a payment to support daily operations.”
The Minister insisted that the Minority’s claims were baseless and misrepresented the financial processes governing the Ministry’s expenditure.
