Source: newsthemegh.com
The complete report of the KPMG audit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) contract has not been provided to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) by the Presidency.
This was said in response to a request for the whole audit report made by the Media Foundation for West Africa under the Right To Information regime.
Citing RTI Act sections 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i), the Presidency asserts its authority to deny requests for information that it deems essential. The Presidency claims that sensitive information covered by these provisions is included in the KPMG report.
The Chief Director, H. M. Wood, signed a letter to the Chief of Staff, the MFWA, expressing the President’s regret for not being able to comply with the request due to the secret nature of the KPMG report.
The RTI application was denied, which highlights the ongoing discussion in Ghana about accountability and openness in public affairs, especially with regard to access to important information pertaining to agreements and contracts with the government.
Background
On January 2, 2024, President Akufo-Addo gave KPMG the go-ahead to audit the contract. The original deadline was set for January 16, 2024, but it was later extended to February 23, 2024.
As per the audit findings, SML has partially fulfilled its responsibilities and received GH¢1,061,054,778.00 in total from 2018 to now. The report did, however, also mention how SML’s efforts have raised revenue in the downstream petroleum industry.
SML has refuted obtaining GH¢1,061,054,778.00 for its contract with the GRA, claiming that KPMG quoted the amount “without reference to the investments made and the taxes paid,” in contrast to what the audit report indicates.
Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, responded to the report by submitting a Right to Information (RTI) request for the whole KPMG Audit Report to the Presidency.
Letter Below:
