Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan-Mensah, has responded to concerns raised over alleged duplicate payments amounting to GH¢3.217 billion within the Ministry’s claims and commitments. The issue, which was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report, comes amid increased public scrutiny following the rejection of several payables and growing concerns about financial management in government institutions.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the Deputy Minister explained that the Ministry had already identified the duplication internally before the external audit brought it to light. According to him, an internal review team conducted a detailed assessment of financial records and flagged instances of duplicate payments, prompting early corrective measures prior to the Auditor-General’s findings.
He stated that once the discrepancies were detected, the Ministry initiated internal processes to address them and formally communicated the findings to the Ministry of Finance. Through the Ministry’s Chief Director, engagements were held with officials at the Finance Ministry to resolve the matter and ensure that the identified issues were properly handled in line with established financial procedures.
However, Gyan-Mensah noted that officials at the Ministry of Finance advised that the matter be handled in collaboration with an audit team that had already been established to examine the payments in question. He explained that this approach was intended to ensure that any corrections or adjustments would be aligned with the findings of the audit team, thereby maintaining consistency and accountability in resolving the discrepancies.
In his remarks, he acknowledged that duplicate payments did occur but maintained that the Ministry acted promptly upon identifying them. He emphasized that the Ministry would not have proceeded with further payments once the duplication was detected, adding that follow-up actions were taken to prevent additional financial irregularities.
Despite these explanations, the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Abena Osei-Asare, expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry’s handling of the issue. She urged the Ministry to strengthen its internal controls and consistently apply checks and balances to prevent similar occurrences in the future. She stressed that under the Public Financial Management framework, institutions are required to ensure proper financial discipline without relying solely on external auditors to detect errors.
According to her, repeated instances of duplication—often attributed to oversight or inadvertent errors—point to systemic weaknesses that must be addressed at the administrative level. She emphasized that robust internal controls and continuous monitoring are essential to prevent financial irregularities, rather than reacting after such issues have already occurred.
The ongoing probe by the Public Accounts Committee forms part of broader parliamentary efforts to scrutinize public expenditures within the energy sector and across government institutions. The Committee’s work is aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and proper management of public funds, particularly in cases where audit reports raise concerns about financial discrepancies.
As the investigation continues, stakeholders are expected to further examine the processes that led to the duplication and assess whether existing financial controls within the Ministry are sufficient to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The outcome of the probe is likely to inform recommendations for strengthening oversight mechanisms and improving compliance with Ghana’s public financial management laws.
