The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has declared that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) owes it more than GH¢50 million in statutory payments.
According to GMet, the outstanding arrears are placing additional strain on its finances and limiting its ability to sustain some of its operations.
Under the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act, 2019 (Act 1002), the GCAA is expected to pay 10% of en-route, overflight and landing fees to GMet.
The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), meanwhile, is mandated to pay 5% of airport passenger taxes to the agency.
Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, August 18, GMet Director-General, Dr Eric Asuman, mentioned that a significant challenge is the agency’s inability to independently verify the flight data used to determine its statutory share.
He said repeated attempts to access the GCAA’s flight database had been unsuccessful.
However, GMet also pointed out that an agreement was reached in March 2026 for the GCAA to settle its outstanding payments, but the agency said the arrears remain only partially settled.
Dr Asuman said the lack of access makes it difficult for GMet to monitor flight movements and independently verify whether the statutory payments made by the GCAA are accurate.
He added that the dispute has persisted for years and has even drawn the attention of Parliament’s Select Committee.
“Somewhere in 2023, Ghana Airport Company started paying its share of its contribution to Ghana Meteorological Agency as stated by the Act. And what they did was to request IATA, as an international air transport institution, to set GMet up in their system so that GMet’s share of the fund will be sent to GMet directly. But as we speak, since 2023 till now, that letter has not been sent. And when they also receive their funds, they don’t transmit the GMet component, which is 10% landing, 10% en route, as stipulated by law to GMet,” he said.
Dr Asuman further explained that the issue had become a serious dispute between the two institutions, prompting Parliament’s Select Committee to intervene. He added that although the law requires the GCAA to remit the funds to GMet, the agency had not complied with the requirement.
He indicated that the financial pressure comes at a time when GMet needs additional resources to improve weather forecasting, aviation meteorology and other services essential to national development.
The agency is appealing for a mechanism that will permit it to independently verify flight data and ensure that the statutory payments due to it are accurately calculated and paid.