Ghana’s Accra to Kumasi Expressway Will Be the First Job for the New Value for Money Office
GHANA · INFRASTRUCTURE
Key Facts
- —What happened Ghana’s finance minister said the Accra to Kumasi Expressway will be the Value for Money Office’s first task.
- —Who said it Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, minister of finance.
- —The road A six-lane expressway of 198.7 kilometres, cutting the route by more than 50 kilometres.
- —The money About US$2 billion sits in a dedicated Bank of Ghana account, with US$4 billion expected by year end.
- —How it is funded The government says it will not borrow for construction and has ring-fenced the funds.
- —The objection The opposition says the oversight office’s board is dominated by partisan appointees.
Two billion dollars in a ring-fenced account, a brand new oversight office, and the first road it will look at.
Ghana’s Accra to Kumasi Expressway will be the first project examined by the country’s new Value for Money Office. Finance minister Cassiel Ato Baah Forson said so on 17 September 2026.
What the Minister Said
Cassiel Ato Baah Forson said the expressway will be the first task of the Value for Money Office. He said the office will scrutinise the project to ensure every cedi delivers value.
He also said the full amount for the project will be available by 31 December 2026. The cedi is Ghana’s currency.
What the Road Is
The expressway runs 198.7 kilometres between Accra and Kumasi with six lanes. It shortens the route by more than 50 kilometres against the existing road of about 250 kilometres.
The government expects it to cut travel time by roughly half. Accra and Kumasi are Ghana’s two largest cities.
Where the Money Is
About US$2 billion is currently held in a dedicated account at the Bank of Ghana. That figure was given by the presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu on 14 September 2026.
The balance stood at about US$1.7 billion on 22 July. The government expects US$4 billion in the account by the end of the year.
Why Ring-Fencing Matters
Ghana has said it will not borrow to build the road. Holding the funds in a dedicated central bank account is meant to stop them being used for anything else.
For a country that completed a debt restructuring in recent years, financing a road from cash rather than credit is a deliberate signal. It also means the project competes with everything else in the budget.
What the Value for Money Office Is
The office was signed into law on 11 May 2026, after parliament passed the bill in March. The act runs to 67 clauses.
Doctor Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba was appointed acting director-general on 8 September 2026. The expressway is the office’s first assignment.
The Opposition’s Objection
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said the office’s board is dominated by partisan political appointees. He has also argued that reporting to the finance minister is a conflict of interest.
His warning is that the office could become a shield behind which future procurement scandals are defended. The government has not published a response to that specific point.
The Work Already Done on the Ground
On 14 September 2026 the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces handed over 175.6 kilometres of cleared right-of-way. The handover came a week ahead of schedule.
Clearing the corridor is the step that determines when construction can begin. It is also where land disputes usually surface.
What Scrutiny Would Actually Involve
A value-for-money review normally examines whether a procurement achieved a reasonable price and whether the specification matched the need. It is not an anti-corruption investigation.
The office’s usefulness will depend on whether it publishes. A review delivered only to the minister who commissioned it changes little.
What It Means for Travellers and Business
For freight between Ghana’s two largest cities, halving journey time would change haulage costs sharply. The corridor carries a large share of domestic goods traffic.
For residents, nothing changes until construction begins. No start date for building work has been announced.
What Is Not Yet Known
The government has not published a total project cost. Nor has it named the contractors or published the procurement terms.
No construction start date has been announced. The office has also not said when its review will report.
What to Watch
Whether the Value for Money Office publishes its findings rather than reporting privately. That is the test of whether it is oversight or paperwork.
Watch also for a published project cost. Until there is one, value for money has nothing to be measured against.
More: Africa news and analysis, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ghana’s finance minister announce?
That the Accra to Kumasi Expressway will be the first project scrutinised by the Value for Money Office.
How long is the expressway?
198.7 kilometres, with six lanes, shortening the route by more than 50 kilometres.
How much money is set aside?
About US$2 billion in a dedicated Bank of Ghana account, with US$4 billion expected by year end.
Is Ghana borrowing to build it?
The government says it will not borrow for construction and has ring-fenced the funds.
What is the Value for Money Office?
A body signed into law on 11 May 2026 to scrutinise whether public projects deliver value.
What does the opposition say?
That the office’s board is dominated by partisan appointees and that reporting to the finance minister is a conflict of interest.
Sources: Statements by Ghana’s finance minister Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, 17 September 2026, and by presidential spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, 14 September 2026, as reported by MyJoyOnline and Ghanaian media.
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