Office of the President has rejected the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) request to disclose the full KPMG report regarding the revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
The MFWA invoked Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) (“RTI Act”) on April 24, 2024, to request a copy of the comprehensive KPMG Audit Report on the GRA-SML revenue assurance contract, commissioned by the President.
However, the presidency, in a statement released on Wednesday, stated that “Upon careful consideration and in accordance with sections 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) of the RTI Act, I regret to inform you that your request has been refused.
Section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) states that information prepared for or submitted to the President or Vice President containing opinions, advice, deliberations, recommendations, minutes, or consultations is exempt from disclosure and that disclosure of such information would compromise the integrity of the deliberative process by revealing the thought process, considerations, and influence on decision-making reserved for the highest offices of the land.”
The statement elaborated that the full KPMG Audit Report encompasses opinions, advice, deliberations, and recommendations vital to the President’s deliberative process. Therefore, it qualifies as exempt information under Section 5(1)(a) and (b)(i).
“Understanding the public interest in the GRA-SML contract, the President has published the principal findings and recommendations of the KPMG report in a detailed press statement issued by the Office of the President on April 24, 2024. Thus, the public remains informed while respecting the statutory restrictions on specific disclosures,” it added.
