Medical drone operator Zipline has begun decommissioning three of its six distribution centres in Ghana, citing unpaid government debts that have reached 175 million cedis. The company suspended operations effective November 25 at facilities serving remote communities across multiple regions, threatening emergency medical deliveries to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Parliamentary Health Committee Ranking Member Dr Nana Ayew Afriye disclosed the closures during heated debate over the 2026 Budget on Tuesday. He revealed that centres at Sefwi Wiawso in Western North Region, Krachi in Volta Region, and Anum in Eastern Region would cease drone deliveries of blood products, vaccines and essential medicines to hard to reach areas.
The 2026 Budget allocated only 20 million cedis for Zipline operations despite the company being owed 175 million cedis, creating a funding gap of 155 million cedis with no clear repayment pathway. Dr Afriye warned that people will die needlessly from lack of blood, medications and essential supplies as a result of the government’s failure to honor its financial obligations.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh rejected the assertions during parliamentary debate. He maintained that the government had fulfilled its commitments to health sector funding and outlined plans to construct three new regional hospitals in Savannah, Oti and Western North regions during 2026 to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Zipline confirmed the difficult decision to temporarily suspend services at the three hubs while expressing hope to resume operations when conditions allow. The company stated it intends to continue serving Ghana through its remaining facilities at Mpanya, Vobsi and Mampong. The suspended centres have operated for years delivering life saving supplies across difficult terrain and island communities where road transport remains unreliable.
Since launching in April 2019, Zipline has completed hundreds of thousands of commercial deliveries, earning global recognition as a flagship public private partnership. The partial shutdown marks a significant regression in Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure, according to health policy analysts who note that reverting to road based transport will inevitably slow response times for emergency supplies.
Member of Parliament Professor Titus Beyuo raised separate concerns about Zipline’s operational effectiveness. Speaking on Adom TV, he claimed a Health Ministry review found only 12 percent of facilities served by Zipline were in hard to reach areas, questioning whether the service justifies its cost. He alleged the company delivers non essential items representing less than 1 percent of core services.
The Zipline predicament reflects broader patterns of accumulated government arrears crippling operations across multiple sectors. Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson revealed during the 2025 Budget presentation that central government owes contractors and suppliers 67.5 billion cedis in validated claims, representing 5.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as of December 2024.
The arrears breakdown includes 49.2 billion cedis in outstanding interim payment invoices from Ministries, Departments and Agencies and 18.3 billion cedis in bank transfers at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department. This figure excludes additional obligations including 1.73 billion dollars owed to Independent Power Producers and debts totaling tens of billions held by state enterprises like Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Cocoa Board.
Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza announced in October that government paid 5 billion cedis to road contractors, describing it as the largest single settlement made to contractors by any government in recent history. However, unpaid road sector obligations still exceed 40 billion cedis, with many projects stalled since 2018 due to non payment.
The 2025 Budget allocated 13 billion cedis to begin clearing verified contractor claims, far below the total owed. Finance Minister Ato Forson told media in November that the government plans to clear all arrears within four years through phased payments, with 25 billion cedis programmed for 2026 and remaining balances settled by 2028.
An audit conducted between May and October 2025 by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young validated 45.4 billion cedis worth of arrears while rejecting 8.1 billion cedis due to unsupported documentation, duplication and overstatements. The Auditor General gave contractors until November 7 to justify rejected claims or face permanent removal from payment records.
Ghana’s total public debt reached 684.6 billion cedis as of September 2025 according to Bank of Ghana data, equivalent to 48.9 percent of GDP. President John Dramani Mahama revealed in his February 2025 State of the Nation Address that public debt had ballooned to 721 billion cedis, with Electricity Company of Ghana owing 68 billion cedis and Ghana Cocoa Board owing 32.5 billion cedis.
The mounting payment delays have created cash flow problems for private firms, stalled infrastructure projects and undermined trust in government partnerships. For Zipline and similar service providers, unpaid arrears translate directly into grounded equipment, suspended deliveries and disrupted supply chains affecting patients in remote communities who depend on rapid aerial medical logistics.
