GCAA owes GMet over GH¢50m in statutory payments – Director-General

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has reported that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) owes it more than GH¢50 million in statutory payments, according to GMet's Director-General, Dr Eric Asuman. These outstanding arrears, which stem from the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act, 2019 (Act 1002), are exacerbating GMet's financial difficulties and impeding its capacity to maintain essential operations.

The GCAA is mandated to remit 10% of en-route, overflight, and landing fees to GMet, while GACL is required to contribute 5% of airport passenger taxes. In March 2026, an agreement was reached for the GCAA to settle the outstanding payments, but as of Tuesday, August 18, GMet Director-General Dr Asuman claimed that the arrears remain unpaid.

A significant challenge for GMet lies in its inability to independently verify the flight data utilized to ascertain its statutory share. Attempts to access the GCAA's flight database have been unsuccessful, making it difficult for GMet to monitor flight movements and confirm the accuracy of the payments made by the GCAA. The dispute has been ongoing for several years and has even been addressed by Parliament's Select Committee.

In 2023, GACL began paying its share of the contribution to GMet, but they required an authorization letter from IATA, the international air transport institution, to facilitate the transfer of funds directly to GMet. Despite this, no such letter has been received since 2023, and GACL has not transmitted the 10% statutory share, which includes 10% landing and en route payments.

This failure has led to strained relations between the two institutions, prompting GMet to call for a mechanism that would enable them to independently verify flight data and ensure the proper calculation and payment of statutory funds.