Government expenditure on National Cathedral pegged at GH¢339m amid ongoing audits

The government has spent over GH¢339 million on the National Cathedral project, which has faced significant delays. This was confirmed by Abena Osei Asare, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, in Parliament on Wednesday, July 3.

Responding to an urgent query from Deputy Majority Leader Patricia Appiagyei, Abena Osei Asare clarified the financial details of the project, revealing that the total government releases to date amount to GH¢339 million. This includes GH¢225 million paid to the National Cathedral Secretariat and GH¢113 million paid directly to the project consultant.

Asare noted that the National Cathedral’s accounts are currently under audit. A value-for-money audit was conducted in 2021, and a statutory audit by Deloitte Ghana began in July 2023.

The auditors have completed the review of the 18-month account ending December 31, 2020, and are preparing to audit the accounts for the years ending December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Since its inception in 2020, the National Cathedral project has been mired in controversy. Public debate has focused on the necessity and timing of such a monumental project, as well as concerns over the transparency and management of the allocated funds.