Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse-Avedzi, has directed the District Chief Executive of the East Gonja Municipal Assembly, Richard Broni, and his team to promptly settle an outstanding balance of GHC92,704.50 owed to M/S Saliha Enterprise for the construction of a 3-unit classroom block in Kigbatito in 2016.
This directive came during the final day of the Zone 1 Public Hearing in Tamale, where the Committee reviewed the Auditor-General’s Report on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Technical University and Polytechnics for the period ending 31st December 2022.
The Auditor-General’s report highlighted that the East Gonja Municipal Assembly awarded a contract to M/S Saliha Enterprise for the construction project at a total cost of GHC133,704.50. Despite the project’s completion in 2016, only GHC41,000.00 has been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of GHC92,704.50.
To avoid potential legal issues, the Auditor-General recommended that the management settle the debt promptly. Chairman Klutse-Avedzi stressed the urgency of the matter, instructing the DCE and the Accountant of the East Gonja Municipal Assembly to contact the contractor immediately and settle the outstanding balance.
Additionally, the Committee cautioned Zoomlion Ghana Limited to address complaints promptly, particularly regarding the maintenance of skip trucks and damaged containers under the Sanitation Improvement contract with various District and Municipal Assemblies.
During the hearing, the Committee also engaged with other assemblies, including Bole, North Gonja, Sawla Tuna Kalba, Gushiegu, Tolon, and Yendi, as well as schools cited in the report, such as Dagbon SHTS, Kpandai SHS, NMTC Kpembe, Yamba Special School, and Zabzugu SHS.
In his closing remarks, James Klutse-Avedzi expressed gratitude to the Committee members, DCEs, Heads of Institutions, Auditors, and Parliamentary Service staff for their contributions to the success of the Zone 1 Public Hearing, which covered five regions: Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, and Upper West.