Madam Abena Osei-Asare, the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, has demanded that the Health Ministry produce supporting documents for a payment of an alleged GH¢802,725 made towards the proposed construction of a CHPS compound in Kwanyako Asuogyaman.
During a PAC sitting in Parliament House, Accra, Madam Osei-Asare questioned why such a significant capital expenditure lacked documentation when reviewed by the Auditor-General.
“This is a capital expenditure item. Before you make any payment on capital expenditure, you need to attach the relevant documents necessary for the payments to go through,” she stated.
She explained that the lack of receipts or supporting documents for such a large payment was unacceptable and undermined transparency and accountability.
“It is a must that when you make payments, you get your receipt to show proof of payment. When auditors come, especially for a capital expenditure item, you should have all the relevant documents present,” she said.
PAC on Monday, September 29, reconvened to continue its public hearings to review the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending December 31, 2024.
Responding to the Committee, Mr Daniel Nsiah of the Financial Reporting and Monitoring Department at the Ministry of Health attributed the issue to how the government’s electronic payment system, GIFMIS, operated.
He explained that the GIFMIS platform, which was designed to minimise human intervention in financial processes, allegedly does not automatically generate traditional receipts.
“Honourable Chair, when the auditors come and you show them the swift advice, they don’t accept it as a receipt,” Mr Nsiah told the Committee.
According to him, although the payment was processed through the official treasury system, the Ministry did not initially collect a receipt from the supplier or contractor.
He, therefore, assured the Committee that efforts were now being made to retrieve the necessary documents.
“In this case, we have to call on the contractor to submit the receipt,” he said.
The construction of CHPS (Community-Based Health Planning and Services) compounds is a key part of Ghana’s strategy to improve healthcare access in rural areas.
However, Madam Osei-Asare emphasised that no matter the urgency or importance of a project, public spending must follow proper documentation protocols.
The Committee will, from Monday to Wednesday, October 1, scrutinize various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for alleged financial irregularities.
Among the agencies and ministries appearing before the Committee would be the Ghana Statistical Service, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry for the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Department, and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs.
The others are the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Art, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Transport.
The PAC’s scrutiny of the Auditor-General’s report highlights the Committee’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in government financial dealings.
GNA
