Government Spends Over GH¢339 Million On National Cathedral Project

The government has invested a substantial sum of over GH¢339 million in the National Cathedral project, which has been at a standstill for some time. This expenditure 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 stated, “The total releases made for the National Cathedral by the government to date remain at GH¢339 million. This figure comprises GH¢225 million paid to the National Cathedral Secretariat, and GH¢113 million paid directly to the project consultant.”

The Deputy Finance Minister also revealed that the National Cathedral’s accounts are currently undergoing audit. “There was a value-for-money audit done on the project in 2021. Also, a statutory audit of the National Cathedral of Ghana accounts by Deloitte Ghana was started in July 2023 and is ongoing,” she explained.

According to Abena Osei Asare, auditors have completed the audit of the 18-month account ended December 31, 2020, and preparations are underway for the remaining accounts for the periods ended December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to be audited.

The National Cathedral project, which began in 2020, has been surrounded by controversy since its inception. The construction of the cathedral has sparked debates across various sectors of society, with arguments ranging from the necessity and timing of such a grandiose structure to the transparency and management of the funds allocated for its development.