Delay in audit of Covid-related expenditures creating impression of embezzlement – BudgIT Ghana
Non-governmental organization, BudgIT Ghana, has averred the delay in government conducting a comprehensive forensic audit on Covid-19 related expenditures is fueling a perception of embezzlement of Covid-19 funds.
BudgetIT Ghana in its Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) report asserts that despite government signing up to processes such as open contracting and beneficial ownership in accessing funds worth billions of dollars from the IMF, World Bank, the African Development Bank and even the Bank of Ghana (BoG), it has failed to ensure transparency and accountability in the expenditure of the Covid-19 funds.
“We need a forensic audit into the covid-19 expenses to ensure that the funds were not misappropriated as being alleged in the public domain as this will engender confidence in the government and boost credibility in the eyes of development partners,” remarked Country Director of BudgIT, Ray Nkum.
Adding that despite the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta appearing before parliament to give details of the pandemic-related expenditure, a comprehensive forensic audit of expenditures is still required to ensure full disclosure.
According to him, much of the spending of the funds drawn through loans and grants to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods, occurred through expedited processes due to the nature of the pandemic and as a result, the risks of corruption, mismanagement and waste were heightened.
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“We found that commitments under the IMF’s Rapid Financial Loan Instrument to publish procurement plans, notices, and awards related to the emergency response were largely not complied with,” noted the report.
”Several contracts for the supply of food and medical products and services were awarded at the height of the pandemic, but details about a few could be found on the government’s electronic procurement platform created to facilitate public procurement processes,” it added.
During the launch of the CTAP report, BudgIT Ghana together with partner anti-corruption civil society groups discussed ways to demand transparency and accountability in public financial management with focus on covid-19 related expenditure.
The CSOs called on the government to facilitate a forensic audit of all covid-19 related expenses to help promote transparency and accountability in the country.
The group also urged for open and transparent dialogue with CSOs in taking decisions related to the government’s response to the pandemic.
The Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project was run in seven African countries – Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Cameroon, Liberia.
CTAP discovered a common phenomenon across all the countries of study – a lack of transparency and accountability for covid-related expenditure.
While audit processes might be required to ascertain abuse of resources, the lack of publicly available procurement details and delays in conducting forensic audits have created impressions of corruption in the pandemic-related expenses.
