Our expenditure ceiling for first half of 2026 was capped at GH¢910 million - Agric Ministry

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has stated that its expenditure for the first half of 2026 was capped at GH¢910 million, contradicting claims that GH¢1.677 billion has been released to the ministry for the period.

The clarification follows remarks by the Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, who said government had released GH¢1.677 billion to MoFA, representing 85% of the ministry’s approved allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).

The figure was announced during the launch of the National Pact for Agricultural Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AgriConnect Compact).

However, MoFA in a statement issued on Friday, June 5, rejected the claim and noted that official budget execution documents from the Ministry of Finance show a stricter cash ceiling for the period.

The statement, signed by Samuel Huntor, Media Liaison Officer at the Office of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, said: “These claims do not align with the official budget execution documents issued by the Ministry of Finance itself.”

It added that the Ministry of Finance, through its allotment schedule, had explicitly restricted spending for January to June 2026.

“MOFA’s total expenditure for the first half of the year should not exceed GH¢910 million,” the statement said in reference to a directive from the Finance Ministry, adding that the accompanying schedule further limits actual spending to about GH¢453 million across all expenditure lines, including compensation and operations.

MoFA further questioned the basis of the GH¢1.677 billion figure, arguing that no subsequent authorisation had been issued beyond the allotment letter.

“If the Ministry of Finance officially capped MOFA’s spending through its allotment system and has not issued any subsequent authorisation, where exactly is this GH¢1.6 billion figure coming from?” the statement asked.