On April 6, 2024, discussions on the Key Points were as usual, informative and educative.
Three topics were discussed. They are;
- Government justifies astronomical increase in passport fees.
- Presidency confirms receipt of KPMG audit report on SML deal.
- Demand for load shedding timetable- GRIDCo reports ECG to Energy Minister.
Here are ten things we learnt from the show:
- Passport isn’t a document to prove citizenship; it’s a privilege for those who want to travel – Appiah-Kubi
Member of Parliament for the Asante Akim North constituency and Chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has said that passports are no longer a source document to prove one’s citizenship since the inception of the Ghana Card.
His comments follow the astronomical increase in passport processing fees by Parliament, which came into effect on Monday, April 1, 2024.
He said passport is now a “privilege” document for those who want to travel.
He, therefore, questioned why taxpayers’ money should be spent on subsidising passport application fees for the few who want to “enjoy the privilege of travelling” at the expense of those who intend not to travel, stressing that the acquisition of a passport is a privilege.
2. Who should pay for the difference in cost of passport? – Appiah-Kubi defends new passport fees
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has mounted a spirited defense for the new passport application fees, arguing that acquisition of a passport is a privilege.
He therefore questioned applicants as to who is supposed to pay for the difference in the processing of passports.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, passports were “highly subsidised” by the government, indicating that passports cost GHC400, whereas applicants paid GHC100.
A situation the ministry described as “unsustainable.”
Meanwhile, in his defence, the Asante Akim North lawmaker emphasised that the new fees were approved by “a unanimous decision” at the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament.
He said, “It is not the duty of the Foreign Affairs Committee to handle the legislation as it was, because this was to come into the L.I. for fees and charges, and it is the legislative committee on subsidiary [that handled it].”
He further noted that the Subsidiary Legislation Committee approved the new fees and submitted it to the plenary for deliberations.
According to him, as far as he could remember, no member of Parliament raised concerns about the quantum of the increment.
“Not that I remember, there was no such complaint that I remember, but at the end of it all it is parliament that passes, so whether or not there were complaints raised in the debate or so, but I don’t remember there were complaints during the debate at the plenary,” he stated.
3. Increment in passport application fees was expected but the margin is too high – Gyampo
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said that he was in favour of the increment in the passport application fees.
Given that the cost of production has increased, he said, an increment in the fees was expected.
However, he said, he had a problem with the margin of increment, after stating that it was too high.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry, in an April 1 statement, announced the increase in application fees for all passport categories.
The fee increment has seen a 32-page standard passport move from GHC100 to GHC500 and GHC644 for a 48-page standard booklet, effective today, Monday, April 1, 2024.
In the same vein, applicants opting for the 32-page expedited service will pay GHC700 and GHC800 for the 48-page expedited service.
The over 500 percent increments have since sparked public concerns, with the minority in Parliament threatening to “trigger a process to revisit the new fees” when the House resumes from recess.
Prof Gyampo said “I favour some increment and I believe that the good people of Ghana will appreciate that things have gone up, so we should adjust a little. We were expecting some adjustment, but the 400 percent was too much.”
4. GRA-SML deal: Publish KPMG report immediately – Alex Segbefia tells Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has to release the KPMG audit report on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), the Director of International Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alex Segbefia, has said.
He says that by next week the report should be released.
“By next week it should be out, this report should be published immediately. This is a matter that people should have been picked up and interrogated by the investigative bodies,” he said.
Mr Segbefia, a former Minister of Health, further said that the selection of KPMG to audit the agreement was needless.
To him, this matter should have been given to investigative bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to do a proper investigation and then act accordingly on the findings of the probe.
“Based on Mannaseh’s report, there was no need for KPMG audit, the CID should have just gone ahead to investigate and prosecute, or we should have handed it over to EOCO to do their work,” he said.
5. KPMG audit on GRA-SML deal needless, EOCO or CID should have taken up the matter – Segbefia
The Director of International Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alex Segbefia, has said that the selection of KPMG to audit the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), was needless.
To him, this matter should have been given to investigative bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to do a proper investigation and then act accordingly on the findings of the probe.
“Based on Mannaseh’s report, there was no need for KPMG audit, the CID should have just gone ahead to investigate and prosecute, or we should have handed it over to EOCO to do their work,” he said.
His comments come at a time the Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhi said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 27th March 2024, received from KPMG its report on the audit conducted on the transactions between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
6. Akufo-Addo will strengthen Mahama’s chances in 2024 if he keeps KPMG report on GRA-SML deal away from Ghanaians – Kpebu
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be enhancing the chances of former President John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 general elections if he does not release the KPMG audit report on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said.
Kpebu said that when Mr Mahama was in office he released audit reports on investigations done on the operations of some state entities such as Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) deal.
Kpebu said that it is nonnegotiable for President Akufo-Addo to release the report.
“As for that it is nonnegotiable, the president cannot sit on it, it has to come out.
“If he sits on the report, he will be strengthening the hands of John Mahama again because in Mahama’s regime when the GYEEDA corruption came, he released a full report,” he said.
He however stated that it appears the president is being stampeded in releasing the report.
“I don’t think it is time to release the report yet” he said after arguing that the persons captured in the report will have to be given the opportunity to respond.
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo said Ghanaians deserve to know the content of the audit report.
In the view of Prof Gyampo, this is not a matter that the President can decide to keep silent on.
“The moment he received the report, we should have been given information about it. We should have been made to know that the report has been received.
“If the deal stinks, we have the right to know. If there is no corruption in the deal and we have unnecessarily run down someone let us know,” he said.
7. GRA-SML deal: I don’t think it’s time for Akufo-Addo to release KPMG report – Kpebu
A private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has stated that it appears the president is being stampeded in releasing the KPMG report on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
He stated that “I don’t think it is time to release the report yet”.
This was after he argued that the persons captured in the report would have to be given the opportunity to respond. He said the President has up to 30 days to release the report from the day he received it.
Kpebu further stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot hide the KPMG audit report. He said that it is nonnegotiable for President Akufo-Addo to release the report.
“As for that it is nonnegotiable, the president cannot sit on it, it has to come out.
“If he sits on the report, he will be strengthening the hands of John Mahama again because in Mahama’s regime when the GYEEDA corruption came he released a full report,” Kpebu said.
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo said Ghanaians deserve to know the content of the audit report.
In the view of Prof Gyampo, this is not a matter that the President can decide to keep silent on.
“The moment he received the report, we should have been given information about it. We should have been made to know that the report has been received.
“If the deal stinks, we have the right to know. If there is no corruption in the deal and we have unnecessarily run down someone let us know,” he said.
8. GRA-SML deal: I supported Akufo-Addo’s selection of KPMG for audit – Gyampo
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said that he supported the selection of KPMG by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the audit work on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
It is recalled that Civil society activists opposed the decision by the President to appoint KPMG.
For instance, a Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons said the nature of the allegations against the deal requires state bodies with the right powers and independence to audit.
“The terms of reference do not extend to a forensic examination of the procurement abuses (single sourcing of an unqualified entity) nor of the technology system purported to have been created for the job, etc. A detailed concurrent review by the OSP & CHRAJ is warranted.
“KPMG’s practice oversight bosses should prudently preserve the firm’s reputation & drop this assignment. This issue is a hot political potato right now. The nature of the allegations requires an IN-DEPTH look by state bodies with the RIGHT POWERS & INDEPENDENCE. KPMG has neither,” he wrote on X.
Similarly, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy Benjamin Boakye said KPMG is a client of GRA, therefore, it would be unethical for it to accept this particular assignment.
“KPMG has its integrity at stake if it accepts this job. It is a client of GRA and its investigation against the leaders of one of its LARGE portfolios is exceedingly suspicious. Simply unethical,” he wrote on X.
But commenting on the announcement by the Presidency that the audit report has been received by President Akufo-Addo, Prof Gyampo said “People talk a lot, if he had given to the state agencies we will say they are compromised. He has given to a private entity and we are still talking.
“I sided with the President for going the KPMG route.”
9. GRA-SML deal: You can’t study KPMG report in perpetuity, we deserve to know its content – Gyampo tells President
A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said Ghanaians deserve to know the content of the audit report on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) done by KPMG.
In the view of Prof Gyampo, this is not a matter that the President can decide to keep silent on.
“The moment he received the report, we should have been given information about it. We should have been made to know that the report has been received.
“If the deal stinks, we have the right to know. If there is no corruption in the deal and we have unnecessarily run down someone let us know,” he said.
The Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 27th March 2024, received from KPMG its report on the audit conducted on the transactions between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
He said the president is studying the findings of the audit report, and will, in due course, make his decisions known to the Ghanaian people.
10. Increment in passport fees is to generate revenue for gov’t – Alex Segbefia
The Director of International Relations for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alexander Segbefia, has asserted that the astronomical hikes in passport application fees are an avenue for the government to generate more revenue.
Effective Monday, April 1, 2024, the application fee for a 32-page booklet saw an increment of GHC400, from the original cost of GHC100 to GHC500. The 48-page standard booklet is now GHC644. The new fees represent about a 544 percent increase from the previous fees.
In the same vein, applicants opting for the 32-page expedited service will pay GHC700 and GHC800 for the 48-page expedited service.
According to Mr. Segbefia, the government needs to shore up revenue due to mismanagement of the economy.
“Our economy has failed and that economy has failed as a result of the NPP government’s management of the economy. Let us establish that fact,” he stated.
“Because if for eight years, you never had to touch those prices and subsidies, what condition of economy did you receive when government was paying?” Mr. Segbefia quizzed, adding that, “The truth of the matter is that government has to find ways of raising revenue across board in terms of where we find ourselves currently.”
He went on to state that the Akufo-Addo government is looking for “every avenue nook and cranny, including taxes whether direct or indirect are being looked at to raise revenue.”
Meanwhile, government communicators and the Foreign Affairs Ministry have consistently mounted a spirited defence of the new prices for passports.
Next week offers another opportunity to dissect topical issues that happened. It is also the day on which the parliamentary primary of the New Patriotic Party in the Ejisu Constituency will take place. 3news.com will bring you comprehensive coverage.