The Private Office of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, the entity the Ministry of Health contracted with on the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines, has said the balance of payment for 300,000 doses of the vaccines due Ghana has already been refunded.
The office in a letter to the Ministry of Health dated August 11, also confirmed that no funds have ever been drawn under a Letter of Credit that was issued by the Government of Ghana.
This follows revelations by a parliamentary ad hoc committee that Ghana had already paid 50% of the contract sum in advance but vaccines were not delivered and the contract was subsequently terminated. Consequently, the committee directed the Ministry of Finance to recover the money.
“The Committee urges the Minister for Finance to take steps to recover the money due the Republic in respect of the amount of US$2,850,000.00 (Cedi equivalent of GH¢16,331,640.00) being the cost of the Sputnik-V vaccines that were proposed to be procured,” the committee said.
There has since been correspondence between the Ministry of Health and the office of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum on the refund of the money. The latest being that the money has already been refunded to the Bank of Ghana.
“The requested amount of Two Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars (USD2,470.000) has already been refunded to the designated bank account as communicated by you. The SWIFT and the payment advice for the refund is hereby attached for your reference and record We also confirm that no funds have ever been drawn under the LC. Also, kindly note that the LC stands expired since June 2021 and is no longer a valid legal instrument issued in our favour.”
The office is also asking Ghana to confirm receipt of the refunded money and communicate same back to them while looking forward to working with Ghana.
Kindly issue us a payment receipt once the funds have been credited into the Government bank account.
By 3news.com|Ghana