The immediate termination of all contracts between the Ghanaian government and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has been ordered by President John Dramani Mahama.
Following the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) inquiry into revenue assurance agreements between SML and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the directive was issued.
All current agreements with SML must be terminated immediately, the President ordered in a letter signed by the Secretary and submitted to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Under the direction of Special Prosecutor Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, the OSP investigation revealed purported procurement violations, dubious contract terms, and poor value for the money.
Mr. Agyebeng said that there was no real demand for SML’s services and that the company’s contracts were given out through “self-serving official patronage, sponsorship, and promotion based on false and unverified claims.”
SML, on the other hand, has denied the conclusions, maintaining that its activities were open and advantageous to the nation. The firm asked the public to rely on verified facts and stated that it had “fully cooperated with all lawful investigations” in a statement released on Friday, October 31.
“We remain proud of the work done, the controls that governed it, and the measurable value created for Ghana,” SML’s Lead Counsel stated.
The business clarified that the “risk-and-reward” nature of its contracts with the GRA was intended to increase national tax collection through petroleum measurement services, audits, and external pricing verification.
It further stated that payments were only made upon GRA’s verification of the results.
This most recent decision comes after a similar action taken in May 2024 by the GRA, which suspended certain terms of the SML contract for review and revoked others at the direction of former President Akufo-Addo.
Source: newsthemegh.com