Minority petitions Auditor-General to conduct Special Audit into Coronavirus Alleviation Programme expenditure

You will recall that, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Mr. Cassiel Ato Forson has accused the government of being allergic to public accountability while addressing a press briefing at the maiden edition of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Weekly Press Briefing in Accra on Monday, 1st June, 2020, expressing Akufo-Addo’s government inability to render an account on the expenditure of GH¢280.3 Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP).

In the recent development, the Minority Caucus in Parliament presents its compliments officially in a petition signed by Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson the Ranking Member, Finance Committee of in Parliament and Hon. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka the Minority Chief Whip to the Auditor-General Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo to conduct a Special Audit into the following;

1. the amount of GH¢40 million, which was allocated for the procurement and distribution of food Packages and hot meals to vulnerable groups in lockdown areas.

2. the amount of GH¢40.3 million, which was allocated to the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company for the procurement and distribution of dry food to vulnerable groups in lockdown areas.

3. The amount of GH¢200 million, allocated for the provision of water and sanitation, especially the amount spent on the supply of water tankers to deprived communities.

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Read below the full petition to the Audiror-General. 

Subject: Request for Special Audit into the Expenditure on Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP).

The Minority Caucus in Parliament presents its compliments.

On 8th April 2020, the Minister for Finance presented to the Finance Committee of Parliament, the government’s coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP in which he indicated that the government was going to spend GH¢1.2 billion to cushion Ghanaians against the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The breakdown of the amount of GH¢1.2 billion included an allocation of GH¢40 million for the provision of Food Packages and Hot Meals to support vulnerable groups in lockdown areas, and GH¢40.3 million to the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company to provide dry food to vulnerable
communities in lockdown areas.

An amount of GH¢200 million was also allocated for water and sanitation, including the mobilization of water tankers, both publicly and privately owned, to supply water to vulnerable communities in locked down areas. These three (3) Important allocations amounts to GHC280.3 million.

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The low coverage and haphazard implementation of the distribution of free hot meals and dry food to the vulnerable groups, as well as the supply of water to deprived communities, gives us
cause for concern that these funds were not utilized judiciously by the government.

This is particularly so, as we have sighted media reports of States-sponsored COVID-19 relief items meant for the vulnerable, being sold in the market by functionaries of the ruling New Patriotic Party in
Kumasi and other parts of the country. Furthermore, we have in our possession, an audio recording from a Kumasi based Silva FM station, in which Market women at Tafo Pankrono have confirmed that eggs meant for distribution to vulnerable groups under the CAP have been diverted and sold on the market by persons associated with government functionaries in the area.

Honourable Auditor-General, The Minority Caucus in Parliament, with the responsibility of ensuring the judicious utilization of state resources and, in accordance with Section 16 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584), as provided below calls on you to undertake a Special Audit into the expenditure of GH¢ 280.3 million that was allocated for provision of food, water and sanitation under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP).

“The Auditor-General may in addition to the audit of public accounts, carry out in the public interest, such special audits or reviews as he considers necessary, and shall summit reports on the audits or review undertaken by him to Parliament;”

Specifically, we are asking for a special audit into the expenditure on:

1. the amount of GH¢40 million, which was allocated for the procurement and distribution of food Packages and hot meals to vulnerable groups in lockdown areas.

2. the amount of GH¢40.3 million, which was allocated to the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company for the procurement and distribution of dry food to vulnerable groups in lockdown areas.

3. The amount of GH¢200 million, allocated for the provision of water and sanitation, especially the amount spent on the supply of water tankers to deprived communities.

Kindly accept, Honourable Auditor General, the assurances of our highest consideration.

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