GCAA Owes GMet Over GH¢50m in Statutory Payments

• The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority owes the Ghana Meteorological Agency over GH¢50 million in unpaid fees.
• The outstanding arrears have put significant financial pressure on GMet, affecting its ability to sustain operations.
• GMet requires a mechanism to independently verify flight data and ensure accurate calculation and payment of statutory fees.

Despite an agreement reached in March 2026 for the GCAA to settle outstanding payments, the arrears remain unpaid.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) is facing significant financial pressure due to outstanding statutory payments from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). According to GMet, the GCAA owes it over GH¢50 million in unpaid fees. This amount represents a substantial portion of GMet's annual budget and has put additional strain on its finances. The agency is calling for a mechanism that will enable it to independently verify flight data and ensure accurate calculation and payment of statutory fees.

The dispute between GCAA and GMet stems from the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act, 2019 (Act 1002). The law requires the GCAA to remit 10% of en-route, overflight, and landing fees to GMet. Additionally, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is mandated to pay 5% of airport passenger taxes to the agency. Despite an agreement reached in March 2026 for the GCAA to settle outstanding payments, the arrears remain unpaid.

The financial pressure faced by GMet comes at a critical time when the agency requires additional resources to enhance weather forecasting, aviation meteorology, and other essential services. Dr. Eric Asuman, Director-General of GMet, emphasized that the lack of access to flight data hinders the agency's ability to monitor flight movements and verify statutory payments accurately. This dispute has persisted for years, with Parliament's Select Committee intervening in 2023 to address the issue.

Lawyers and compliance officers should be aware of the potential for disputes over statutory payments between regulatory bodies, such as this case between GCAA and GMet, and ensure their clients are compliant with relevant laws and regulations to avoid similar issues.

Source: Original reporting via Myjoyonline.com