The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, has called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately release the KPMG audit report on the revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
Mr Adongo urged the President to ensure that a copy of the report is presented to Parliament when the House reconvenes from recess, emphasizing that this step is essential for transparency in the deal and will enable Parliament to conduct an independent investigation into the contract.
In a press statement issued on Friday, April 26, Mr Adongo reiterated the importance of transparency in government contracts, stating that it is crucial for accountability and public trust.
The Bolgatanga Central Member of Parliament highlighted the Minority’s commitment to uncovering any breaches or irregularities in the contract, affirming that they would not allow the government to conceal any wrongdoing.
Mr Adongo assured the Ghanaian people that the Minority would continue to demand accountability from the government and remain steadfast in protecting the public purse.
He encouraged citizens to join in the effort to ensure that government contracts are executed with integrity and in the best interest of the nation.
“At this moment, I respectfully request that Parliament be furnished with a copy of the KPMG report to aid the Finance Committee’s investigation.
“It strikes me as unusual that the report only contains mild suggestions and recommendations despite the abundance of information available to the public regarding the SML arrangement.
“Consequently, we must scrutinize the comprehensiveness of their mandate, including their TOR, methodology, and approach.”
“Our primary objective is to expose the beneficial owners of this group and utilize Parliament’s authority to recover the funds that have been paid due to this illegality.
“I trust that the President understands that my Parliamentary scrutiny request is founded on section 33 of the PFM Act, which mandates that Parliament authorize contracts with multi-year obligations in the first instance.”
“For the unsuspecting public, this recent development further reinforces the belief amongst many discerning people of Ghana, that Bawumia and his associates are simply spearheading a corruption-infested digitalisation strategy steeped in delusions and shrewdness.
“Without equivocation, this government’s touted mantra of digitalisation is merely a scheme, a political propaganda of chicanery deployed to hoodwink and exploit the people of Ghana for their self-serving benefit,” an excerpt of his statement said.
KPMG, a reputable auditing firm, has completed and submitted its report on the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to President Akufo-Addo.
The audit was initiated by the President on January 2, 2024, following an expose by the media. Originally scheduled to be concluded by January 16, 2024, the deadline was extended to February 23, 2024, due to circumstances.
According to the audit findings, SML has received a total of GH¢1,061,054,778 since 2018 while fulfilling its obligations partially.
However, SML has challenged this finding, asserting that the report in general justifies the contract.