The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has formally stated that it owes the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) over GH¢50 million in statutory payments, with Director-General Dr Eric Asuman asserting this is a significant challenge impacting the agency’s financial stability and operational capabilities.
Under the amended Ghana Meteorological Agency Act, 2019 (Act 1002), GMet is obligated to remit 10% of en-route, overflight, and landing fees to GMet. The GCAA, conversely, is required to remit 5% of airport passenger taxes to the agency.
According to GMet, an agreement was reached in March 2026 for the GCAA to settle these outstanding payments. However, the agency reports that the arrears have not been fully disbursed, creating a substantial financial burden.
Dr Asuman explained that the agency’s inability to independently verify flight data used to determine its statutory share constitutes a major hurdle. Repeated attempts to access the GCAA’s flight database have yielded inconsistent results, hindering the agency’s ability to monitor flight movements and accurately assess its statutory payments.
He further stated that the dispute has persisted for years and has even drawn attention from Parliament’s Select Committee. ‘Somewhere in 2023, Ghana Airport Company Limited started paying its share of its contribution to Ghana Meteorological Agency as stated by the Act,’ Dr Asuman noted. ‘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.’
This request, he added, has not been fulfilled, causing the parliamentary select committee to intervene. The agency argues that this lack of authorization from IATA is a fundamental breach of the agreement, and the parliamentary committee’s intervention underscores the severity of the situation.
Dr Asuman emphasized that the financial pressure is compounded by a need to strengthen weather forecasting, aviation meteorology, and other crucial services for national development. The agency is therefore demanding a mechanism for independent verification of flight data and a clear, defined process for ensuring the statutory payments are accurately calculated and paid.
The agency’s request for a resolution to this dispute underscores the potential for further legal action and impacts the agency’s operational capacity. The conflict between the two institutions highlights the complexities of revenue management within the aviation sector and the need for greater transparency and accountability.
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Source: MyJoyOnline
