Public money belongs to Ghanaians, not officials — Finance Minister Ato Forson charges MMDCEs

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has called on public officials to account for every cedi entrusted to them and build systems that make the recovery of public money an exception rather than an annual ritual.

He was speaking at an engagement on the Auditor-General’s Report attended by regional ministers and metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives.

Dr. Forson stressed that government officials are custodians of the nation’s resources, not their owners, and must manage those resources with a clear sense of responsibility to citizens.

“Public money does not belong to government officials; we are only the custodians of those resources,” he said.

“Those resources belong to the people of Ghana: Our constituents, our citizens!”

He urged officials to reclaim every recoverable cedi, underscoring their obligation to account for the public funds placed in their care.

“So let us recover every cedi that is recoverable! Let us account for every cedi that is entrusted to us as public officials,” he stated.

The Finance Minister, however, made clear that accountability must go beyond recovering money. He called for stronger systems to protect public resources, rather than allowing recovery to become a recurring feature of public financial management.

“But above all, let us build systems where recovery becomes the exception, not an annual ritual,” he said.