The Ghanaian government has so far disbursed over GH¢339 million for the construction of the National Cathedral, as disclosed by Abena Osei-Asare, the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, during her address to Parliament on July 3.
Abena Asare specified that the Ministry of Finance had initially pledged to provide the land and initial funding for the National Cathedral in the previous year’s budget.
She explained that this allocation was intended to secure the necessary finances for advancing the project.
“From the onset, the Ministry of Finance mentioned that our contribution to the National Cathedral would be the land and some seed money, and this was in the previous year’s budget,” she said.
Despite numerous delays and the project remaining at the foundation stage for several months, the Finance Ministry has reassured Parliament and the public that the funds have been used effectively, which has built confidence in the project’s financial management.
She stated that a value-for-money audit in 2021 supported this assertion, confirming the project’s financial soundness.
She revealed that Deloitte Ghana had started a statutory audit of the National Cathedral’s accounts in July 2023, indicating the government’s dedication to transparency and accountability.
“The auditors have concluded the audit for the 18-month accounts ended December 31, 2020. Preparations are in place for the auditors to complete the remaining accounts for the years ending December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023,” she added.
She confirmed the availability of records that detail all payments made for the National Cathedral, showing the Ghanaian government’s dedication to making information open and accessible.
