Value for Money Office Bill passed by parliament

Ghana is set to establish a new independent body to scrutinise how public money is spent after Parliament passed the Value for Money Office Bill, 2026.

The new law is designed to tighten control over government procurement and expenditure, with the aim of reducing waste and improving accountability across the public sector.

Introduced in February by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the bill creates a specialised office that will focus on whether state spending delivers real results for citizens. The wider objective, according to government, is to build stronger discipline into the country’s public financial management system.

Speaking in Parliament, Dr Forson said the legislation was intended to confront deep-rooted weaknesses that have undermined value in public projects for years. He cited inflated contract values, abandoned works, cost overruns and avoidable waste as some of the recurring problems the new office is expected to tackle.

He argued that the framework would help ensure that public funds are used in a way that advances efficiency, effectiveness and fairness, while also promoting long-term sustainability.

Under the law, the Value for Money Office will operate as an independent oversight institution with a technical mandate. Among its main responsibilities will be the assessment of whether major public spending decisions represent proper value, the issuance of mandatory Value for Money Certificates before large contracts are awarded, and the monitoring of compliance by public institutions.

The office will also have enforcement powers, including the ability to trigger sanctions where procurement and spending rules are breached.

For the government, the new body is expected to become a central instrument in improving fiscal governance. Ministers say it should help ensure that state-funded projects are not just approved and financed, but are delivered efficiently and with measurable public benefit.