The Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has inaugurated a National Asset Management Working Committee, tasked with the responsibility of identifying, accounting for, and managing Ghana’s vast portfolio of public assets.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony in Accra, Dr. Forson lamented the absence of a comprehensive State Assets Register, describing it as a critical gap in the country’s public financial management architecture. He decried decades of neglect, misuse, and illegal occupation of government-owned properties, and stressed the urgency of reversing this trend.
“The deteriorating condition of public assets and the unchecked sale of state lands are unacceptable. This committee must lead a new era of accountability and protection for what belongs to the people,” the Minister urged.
The 15-member committee, chaired by Deputy Finance Minister Hon. Thomas Ampem Nyarko, will spearhead efforts to ensure that new acquisitions are guided by existing inventories and that public assets are properly documented, preserved, and managed.
Hon. Ampem Nyarko pledged to end the culture of asset acquisition without auditing, promising rigorous reforms and improved oversight mechanisms.
Members of the Committee
- Hon. Thomas Ampem Nyarko – Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance (Chairperson)
- Ms. Abigail Naa Odoi – Deputy Director, Office of the President
- Mr. Edwin Nkrumah – Assistant Chief Estate Manager, Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources
- Dr. Sylvia Adusu – Chief State Attorney, Attorney-General’s Department
- Mrs. Mavis Asare Donkor – Director of General Administration, Ministry of Education
- Mr. Frank Raji – Director of General Administration, Ministry of Health
- Mr. Theophilus Okine – Director of Procurement and Supply Chain, Ministry of Defence
- Dr. Gideon Asamoah Tetteh – Director of Finance and Administration, Ministry of the Interior
- Mr. Erya Nutsugah – Director of Policy, Planning, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
- Mr. Dela Kemevor – Director of General Administration, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
- Mr. Walter A. Adabere – Acting Director of Administration and Deputy Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Office of the Administrator-General
- Dr. Gad Asowoe Akwensivie (Esq.) – Acting Administrator, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands
- Mr. Anthony Mallen Ntiador – Acting Deputy Executive Secretary, Lands Commission
- Mr. James Bondzie – Principal Estate Manager, Public Works Department
- Mrs. Millicent Atuguba – Acting General Manager, Operations, State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA)
The committee’s work is expected to bolster transparency, accountability, and efficient use of public resources. It also aligns with broader national goals of strengthening public financial systems and preventing the loss or abuse of government properties.
As the committee begins its work, the public and stakeholders are watching with keen interest, hopeful that it signals a long-overdue shift in the management of Ghana’s public assets.
