The Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of engaging in a whitewashing attempt following his directive to audit the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
Dr Forson indicated that Parliament has already initiated a probe into the agreement therefore this directive by the President will not stop the House from unearthing every issue surrounding the deal.
“President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of KPMG to audit the so-called revenue assurance agreement between Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) has come too late in the day. Parliament has already directed the Finance Committee to audit the infamous agreement and the Committee is actively seized of the matter.
“The President, who should have led this fight in the wake of this scandal, is playing catch up since Parliament has also directed GRA to suspend all payments to SML.
“This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners,” he wrote on his X platform.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had appointed accounting and auditing firm, KPMG to audit the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).
The President tasked KPMG to complete the audit in two weeks.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency Eugene Arhin on Tuesday, January 2.
“The President has also tasked the Ministry of Finance and GRA to provide KPMG with whatever assistance they will require for the conduct of the audit,” portions of the statement said.
The Terms of Reference of the audit are as follows: “i. conduct an audit to ascertain the rationale or needs assessment performed prior to the contract approval by GRA, and assess how the arrangement aligns with specific needs; ii. assess the appropriateness of the contracting methodology, verifying compliance with legal standards and industry best practices in the procurement process for the selection of SML;
iii. evaluate the degree of alignment between current activities and the stipulated contract scope, identifying any deviations; iv. evaluate the value or benefit that SML has so far offered to the GRA through this engagement; v. review the financial arrangements, including pricing structures, payment terms and resolution of any financial compliance issues; and vi. submit a report on your findings on the above, together with appropriate recommendations.”
The press release added that “President Akufo-Addo has tasked KPMG to complete the assignment in two weeks.”
“The President has directed the Ministry of Finance and GRA to provide KPMG with whatever assistance they will require for conduct of the audit, and has also directed the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority to suspend the performance of the contract, pending the submission of the audit report, including any payments presently envisaged under its terms,” the statement concluded.