Government will establish an independent Value for Money Office this year to ensure every cedi spent on behalf of Ghanaians delivers real value.
The new office forms part of governance reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and transparency in public spending.
President John Dramani Mahama made this known in his address at the 77th Annual New Year’s School and Conference at the University of Ghana on Monday.
This initiative, according to him, is one of five pillars for building sustainable development.
“This is why this year we will establish an independent value for money office to ensure that every cedi that is spent on behalf of the people of Ghana delivers real value,” the President stated.
He emphasized that the office will address systemic issues in how public resources are managed and ensure accountability moves beyond rhetoric.
“Accountability must be real and not rhetorical. Transparency must be systemic and not selective,” President Mahama said.
The President described good governance as central to sustainable development, noting it concerns how power is exercised, how resources are managed, and how decisions affect ordinary lives.
“Sustainable development is impossible without public trust in the institutions. Good governance is not an abstract. It concerns how power is exercised, how resources are managed and how decisions affect ordinary lives,” he explained.
He said his administration is strengthening anti-corruption institutions, restoring respect for the rule of law, and insisting on value for money in public spending.
The President also announced that the Code of Public Officers Bill, currently in Parliament, will be passed this year to codify accountability requirements for public officers.
“This bill will codify the requirements for accountability by public officers. And so it will no longer be a moral situation, it will be law and you have to abide by the law,” he stated.
He stressed that governance reform also requires national discipline, a culture where rules are respected, public resources are protected, and civic responsibility is embraced.
“Development is not delivered solely by government. It is sustained by citizens who believe in the system and contribute to its success,” he said.
The President added that leadership must lead by example, with public officers publishing the Code of Conduct in their day-to-day behavior.