A social media user is calling for a thorough investigation into the work of KelniGvG, a company said to have saved Ghana an estimated GH¢1.5 billion in revenue losses through the Common Platform (CP).
This comes at a time when Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), allegedly an extension of a timber company, is facing scrutiny over a GH₵ 3 billion contract from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for “revenue assurance” services in the downstream petroleum sector.
The Fourth Estate’s investigative report reveals that SML, despite lacking experience, was “handpicked for the contract through the single-source procurement method.”
First was the claim SML made in March 2021 that it had saved Ghana over GH₵1 billion in revenue because of its services but that assertion per a report is false.
As such, there is a call for investigations into the claim that government was able to save an estimated GH¢1.5 billion in revenue losses through the Common Platform (CP) managed by KelniGvG.
“It’s time to expose SML’s twin bro KelniGVG, They claim to ve saved GHC1.5bn. Kelni hs tkn o/ the Comms Ministry. Rural Telephny, Girls in ICT all gvn to the same company. @UrsulaOw milkn Gh dry with one Chief Philip,” the X user wrote.
In 2021, Communication and Digitization Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, then a designate, said the amount is in addition to some GH¢470 million in revenue taxes saved between the first quarter of 2017 when the platform was announced.
Providing updates during her ministerial vetting on Monday, February 15, 2021, the nominee justified that the amount would not have been realised if not for the implementation of the Common Platform.
“An estimated GH¢470 million in taxes was saved between Q1 2017 till date as a result of the announcement of the implementation of the platform and a potential GH¢1.5 billion loss through to the end of the contract if the platform had not been implemented,” she told the Appointments Committee of Parliament.