Finance Minister sits on $200m World Bank cash as floods kill 40

The World Bank has attributed significant delays in the implementation of Ghana’s flagship Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project to fiscal controls imposed by the Ministry of Finance, raising fresh questions about government’s flood preparedness following the devastating floods that recently claimed lives and displaced thousands across the capital.

So far over 40 lives have been lost in the deadly June 29 floods across several communities and more bodies are being recovered as the number of missing people escalates.

In its latest implementation status report released in May 2026, the World Bank downgraded the project’s implementation performance from satisfactory to “Moderately Unsatisfactory,” citing funding restrictions introduced by the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson in 2025 as the principal reason for the slowdown.

According to the report, $120 million of the total envelope of $350 million for the GARID project was disbursed under the previous administration. The previous government didn’t touch $80 million of the initial $200 million and the additional $150 million added to it. All the money is still sitting at the finance ministry under the watch of Ato Forson while Accra floods kill residents.

The findings have assumed greater national significance after the June 29 floods devastated several communities in Greater Accra, killing several people in the region, destroying homes and businesses, displacing tens of thousands of residents and reigniting debate over government’s handling of flood mitigation projects.

The government has announced a military led team to lead the pulling down of houses allegedly built on waterways, with the appointment of Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah to head the demolition squad.

According to the World Bank, although the GARID Project remains fully financed with a total funding envelope of US$350 million, implementation has been severely constrained because government failed to provide timely access to available project funds.

“The implementation of GARID has been significantly constrained by fiscal measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance during 2025,” the Bank stated in its assessment.

The GARID Project was established to strengthen flood risk management, improve solid waste management, enhance urban resilience and reduce the impact of perennial flooding within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.

The programme covers major drainage infrastructure, flood control systems, urban upgrading, institutional strengthening, emergency response and improved waste management across several metropolitan and municipal assemblies.

While acknowledging that the project remains on course to achieve its long-term development objectives, the World Bank noted that physical implementation has fallen far behind schedule.

The report disclosed that although engineering designs for almost all major drainage projects have been completed, construction works have progressed slowly, with several contractors falling behind schedule.

Civil works on Nima Drainage system was 68%, Aketeyman was 41% and Alogboshie was 45% by December 2024. All these projects have stopped because the Finance Minister is refusing to release the over $200 million the previous government left for the Accra Flood projects.

The Bank observed that decisions to terminate or restructure underperforming contracts have also been delayed, further affecting project delivery.

Ironically, the World Bank indicated that Ghana’s flood early warning system under GARID is fully operational and that solid waste collection in underserved communities has exceeded annual targets.

However, despite the existence of the operational warning system, no public flood alert was issued ahead of the June 29 disaster, raising further concerns over the effectiveness of the country’s emergency preparedness mechanisms.

Transfer of Cash

According to the World Bank, one of the biggest setbacks occurred after the Ministry of Finance imposed expenditure ceilings on the project and temporarily transferred GH¢13.8 million from GARID’s designated project account.

The Bank said those fiscal measures created severe liquidity challenges that left contractors unpaid for completed works, delayed Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) and significantly slowed civil engineering activities.

Although government later returned the GH¢13.8 million to the project account in March 2026 and processed a US$10.5 million withdrawal application in February—the first project withdrawal since November 2023—the World Bank maintained that the interventions only partially resolved the financing challenges.

“These actions have partially eased liquidity constraints but have not fully addressed the financing gap affecting works implementation,” the report stated.

The Bank further revealed that the Project Coordination Unit estimates GARID requires approximately US$40.8 million to finance activities in 2026.

However, the Ministry of Finance has allocated only about US$17.5 million, leaving a substantial financing shortfall that continues to affect implementation.

Additionally, a request seeking commitment authorisation for US$79.8 million worth of civil works contracts submitted by the Ministry of Works and Housing remains pending before the Ministry of Finance.

According to the report, government has indicated that additional fiscal space for the project will be considered during the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, while commitment authorisations for outstanding contracts could resume once the country’s fiscal position improves.

Nevertheless, the World Bank warned that continued delays could expose government to contractor claims, cost overruns, procurement challenges, resettlement delays and increased construction costs.

The report also highlighted the project’s poor disbursement record.

As of April 14, 2026, only US$137 million, representing approximately 40 per cent of the total US$350 million financing, had been disbursed.

The World Bank noted that virtually no project funds were released between November 2024 and March 2026, creating a funding freeze that lasted approximately 16 months before disbursements finally resumed in April 2026.

The Bank explained that the prolonged interruption resulted directly from government fiscal controls affecting access to project resources.

It further indicated that a comprehensive review of the GARID Project may become necessary once government restores predictable funding, to reassess timelines, evaluate the financial consequences of the delays and determine what adjustments are needed to ensure the project achieves its intended objectives before its scheduled completion.

Nana Prekoh Eric

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