• Tool evaluates compliance with public financial management rules under Act 921
• Institutions classified into four categories from highly compliant to least compliant
• Several entities, including the revenue authority and education ministry, rank among the least compliant

Ghana’s Ministry of Finance has introduced a Public Financial Management (PFM) Compliance League Table, ranking public institutions based on their adherence to fiscal rules, in a move aimed at strengthening accountability in the use of public resources.

Released in March 2026, the initiative provides an assessment of how government entities comply with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), its regulations, and related laws. According to the Ministry, the initiative fulfils a commitment made in the 2025 Budget Statement to enhance transparency and enforce accountability across public institutions.

Developed by the Ministry’s PFM Compliance Division, the league table benchmarks institutions across the public sector and categorizes them into four groups: highly compliant, compliant, moderately compliant, and least compliant. The tool is designed to identify gaps in financial management systems, support corrective actions, and enforce compliance.

Among the top performers, institutions in the energy and extractive sectors feature prominently, including the Environmental Protection Authority, Tema Oil Refinery, Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. The Ministry of Finance and the Ghana AIDS Commission are also ranked among the most compliant entities.

A broader group of institutions fall within the compliant category, including the Cocoa Marketing Company, Petroleum Commission, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Transport, and the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice. Other entities in this category include the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Standards Authority, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Institutions classified as moderately compliant include the Ministry of Defence, Ghana Gas, the District Assemblies Common Fund, and the Ghana Health Service.

Several institutions are listed among the least compliant entities, including the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Education (Headquarters), National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), National Communications Authority, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana Commodity Exchange, and the University of Ghana are also included in this category.

The Ministry of Finance stated that it will engage institutions with low compliance scores to address weaknesses and strengthen their financial management systems. The league table is expected to serve as a continuous monitoring tool to improve transparency, expenditure control, and reporting practices across government.

The initiative comes as governments across the region face rising debt servicing costs and tighter financing conditions.

By Cynthia Ebot Takang