Ghana Meteorological Agency demands GH¢59 million in aviation revenue arrears

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has reported that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) owes it approximately GH¢59 million in outstanding statutory payments. These arrears, which GMet claims have persisted for over a decade, are reportedly undermining the agency’s ability to finance critical weather and climate services essential for aviation safety.

Under the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act of 2019, the GCAA is legally required to remit 10 percent of landing, en-route, and overflight fees to GMet. Additionally, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is mandated to transfer 5 percent of passenger service charges to support GMet’s operations. While GACL reportedly began making contributions in 2023, GMet noted that it has received only a single payment of GH¢1 million from the GCAA this year, transferred in March.

Dr. Eric Asuman, Director-General of GMet, highlighted a significant operational challenge: the agency lacks access to the GCAA’s flight database. This prevents GMet from independently verifying flight movements and the accuracy of the fees collected, making it difficult to monitor and determine the exact amounts owed. GMet is calling for a mechanism to enable independent data verification to ensure statutory entitlements are met.