The World Bank has blamed fiscal controls introduced by the Ministry of Finance for significantly delaying implementation of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, one of the country’s flagship programmes aimed at tackling chronic flooding in the capital.In its latest implementation update released in May 2026, the Bank downgraded the project’s implementation performance to “Moderately Unsatisfactory”, citing persistent funding constraints despite the project remaining fully financed.“The implementation of GARID has been significantly constrained by fiscal measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance during 2025,” the report said.Source: World BankThe findings have taken on added significance following the devastating floods of June 29, which killed at least 12 people and renewed attention on Accra’s longstanding drainage and flood management challenges.The $350 million GARID Project supports Ghana’s efforts to strengthen flood risk management, improve solid waste management and enhance urban resilience across selected metropolitan and municipal assemblies within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.The programme covers five major components, including drainage and flood risk infrastructure, solid waste management, urban upgrading, institutional coordination, project management and emergency response.According to the World Bank, progress on the ground has lagged well behind planning.Although detailed engineering designs have been completed for most approved civil works, with the exception of the Ayidan landfill, construction has proceeded slowly.Several contractors remain behind schedule, while decisions on terminating or restructuring persistently underperforming contracts have yet to be taken.The Bank attributes much of the slowdown to financing restrictions imposed during 2025.Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato ForsonAccording to the report, the Ministry of Finance introduced a ceiling on project disbursements and temporarily swept GH¢13.8 million from the project’s designated account.These measures created severe cash flow constraints, resulting in unpaid Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs), delayed payments to contractors and slower execution of civil works.Source: World BankThe Bank warned that although sufficient overall financing remains available to complete the project, disruptions to funding flows have created broader operational risks, including time related cost overruns, contractor claims, price adjustments, procurement pressures and delays to resettlement related works.The report notes that government took corrective action following discussions with the World Bank.In February 2026, a withdrawal application of $10.5 million was processed, the first project withdrawal since November 2023. The government also submitted a formal restructuring request to allow funds to be reallocated across expenditure categories, while the previously swept GH¢13.8 million was returned to the project in March 2026.However, the Bank says those measures have only partially eased the liquidity constraints.“These actions have partially eased liquidity constraints but have not fully addressed the financing gap affecting works implementation.”According to the report, the project continues to face short term cash flow shortages despite having access to committed financing.The Project Coordination Unit estimates financing requirements of approximately $40.8 million for 2026. However, the Ministry of Finance has allocated only about $17.5 million, leaving a substantial funding gap.In addition, a request for commitment authorization covering $79.8 million in civil works contracts, submitted by the Ministry of Works and Housing, remains pending approval.The Ministry of Finance has indicated that additional fiscal space for the project will be considered during the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, subject to overall budget conditions. Government has also signaled its intention to resume issuing commitment authorizations, including for selected new procurement processes, as fiscal space improves.The World Bank nevertheless cautioned that further delays could undermine project delivery.“Continued delays in securing authorizations pose a risk to maintaining implementation momentum and avoiding further contract disruptions.”The prolonged funding disruptions are also reflected in the project’s disbursement record.As of April 14, 2026, only $137 million, representing about 40% of the project’s total $350 million financing, had been disbursed.The Bank notes that the project recorded virtually no disbursements for approximately 16 months, from November 2023 to March 2026, because of government fiscal controls affecting access to project funds.Disbursements resumed only in April 2026 after government decided to restore funding flows and proceed with implementation.The World Bank says a more comprehensive review of the project may become necessary once government restores a predictable flow of funding and implementation.Such a review would reassess project timelines, account for the cost implications of the delays already incurred and determine what adjustments are needed to ensure GARID can still achieve its development objectives before the project closes.