GH¢643m at risk! Agric Minister fights Finance Minister over World Bank Food Project
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has asked the Ministry of Finance to reverse Ghana’s withdrawal from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), warning that GH¢643.87 million in existing contractual commitments are at risk.
In a letter to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku said the Finance Ministry’s September 23 request to the World Bank to withdraw Ghana from the programme was made without prior consultation with MoFA.
MoFA says it has already incurred GH¢643,867,633.36 in obligations for ongoing agricultural infrastructure works under the FSRP:
- GH¢520.26 million from the International Development Association (IDA) credit
- GH¢123.61 million from the FS2030 Trust Fund
The Agriculture Ministry warned that withdrawing without an alternative financing arrangement would force the government to pay these from other resources, leading to delays, additional costs, or contractual claims.
Projects at risk include critical irrigation rehabilitation works at Weta, Vea, Kpong and selected inland valleys.
This follows a September 24 directive from the World Bank ordering an immediate pause on activities and procurement financed under the IDA credit and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds, including tomato seed and micro-irrigation activities under a Norwegian grant, and recruitment for the Feed Ghana Brigade.
MoFA is therefore requesting “urgent reconsideration of the decision” to safeguard the commitments already made.
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